The cost of living is on the rise for all of us. Most have started to pay even more attention to the various ways they can cut costs, save a little more, and minimise housing expenses in general. One of the biggest expenses of all is, of course, our fuel costs. To stay healthy through winter, those aren’t always easy to keep down. Here, we’re going to look at some options to save on fuel.
GET SMART WITH YOUR THERMOSTAT
The thermostat in your home regulates the temperature by effectively giving your heating system an aim. Set a temperature and it will turn on the heating until it reaches that temperature. It has been shown that reducing your thermostat by even one degree can make for some major savings throughout the year. However, if you want to make sure that your home is safe and comfortable, then using a smart thermostat that can alter it automatically based on the conditions of the weather can make sure that you’re using it when you need to, but keeping it lower when it might not be as vital to have the heating on as often as you might otherwise.
COMPARE PROVIDERS TO GET THE BEST DEAL
Depending on how you heat your home, there may be options for you to switch to a provider that offers a better deal. Switching gas providers, the company that provides the gas that flows through your heating system might be a little more difficult. If you’re buying oil for a furnace, that can be a lot easier. Switch your energy suppliers as soon as you see one that offers a better deal. The unfortunate reality is that very few of these companies do much of anything at all to reward their loyal customers. If you’re not benefiting from sticking with the same provider, then start doing your research to see if anyone is offering better.
THINK ABOUT WHICH ROOMS TO HEAT
Sometimes, it can be so cold, that it’s wise to heat up the home in general, just to avoid things like freezing pipes, or walking into a freezing room that isn’t easy to make comfortable. However, if it’s not that dire, then you could save a lot of money by heating some rooms less than others. For instance, if you’re not using a home office or a bedroom throughout the day, then you might want to simply turn down the radiators in there and close the doors to help them maintain their current levels of heat without sucking warmth from the other rooms. Similarly, if you’re heating a single room, then closing the door and using a draft excluded can help you prevent heat transfer, too.
CHECK IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT
There are state and nonprofit bodies that are well aware of the financial strain that winter is putting on a lot of households and want to do what they can to help families stay warm, safe, and healthy. This can include direct financial assistance towards fuel purchases, for instance, but it can also include things like the ECO scheme, which can help low-income households make changes to their home to make them a lot more energy efficient. A more energy-efficient home means savings that can be put towards heating the home, but it can also make the home a lot easier and less costly to heat in the first place.
GIVE YOUR HEATING A HEALTH CHECK
If you haven’t had a professional look at your heating in years, and you feel like it’s not doing a great job of keeping the home warm, then it might be time to arrange for a boiler service. Boilers need to be looked after, wear and tear can reduce their effectiveness. Even if they’re working fine, they might be inefficient, costing you a lot more to keep running as a result. Many of us don’t use our boilers much at all during spring, summer, and early autumn but, when winter comes around, we start to rely on them a lot more. This sudden demand on them can result in a whole host of issues. Arrange for a boiler service as quickly as you can, as boiler technicians get very busy during the winter months.
There are always options to look into, whether it’s changes you can make to your home, making a switch from one provider to another, or even looking for a little assistance. Don’t let your fuel bills get the better of you as the weather continues to make your heating a necessity rather than a luxury.
