Reduce your heating consumption
Increase your home efficiency, reduce your carbon footprint and save money
In this page we are documenting those heating saving opportunities which we have tested or are deemed to have solid potential for reducing heating consumption.
Six proven ways to reduce heating costs
Before going ahead, we really recommend to first have a look to the Effiworkx YouTube channel videos. On those videos we explain concepts that will be of your interest.
How to look for heat leaks at home using a FLIR ONE thermal camera
Stove Fan powered by Peltier module
1 - Cover your windows with thermal window film
First of all we must say that in our home we have quite efficient windows so we haven’t been able to apply this solution yet. Still, given the research we have made this seems to be the best option for those who cannot afford to change their windows.
Thermal window film companies state that their products may reduce the heat loss, reject solar heat and reduce solar glare so apart from supporting with electricity or gas consumption, there are additional benefits.
As we cannot set back our thermostat if we our house is continuously leaking heat, the thermal window film very much seems the cheapest and most cost effective solution
2 - Prevent draughts with draughts excluders
It has been estimated that around 25% of all the heat loss from an average house is lost by draughts so looking after draught proofing windows and doors has a big influence on reducing energy consumption.
We used to rent a very inefficient house and we very much know about draughts.
We had to install a door draught excluder because by underneath the front door there were major air current when the air was blowing. Of course, as we were renting the house and the landlord didn’t want to pay for any repairs, the door draught excluder was the most cost efficient solution.
If you don’t know what a door draught excluder is, google it or click on the picture below.
Likewise, for those of you with damaged windows or damaged seals, if you cannot replace the windows the most affordable solution in to install windows draught excluders.
3 - Insulate your house hot water pipes
By insulating the hot water pipes, it is possible to reduce the heat loss and raise the hot water temperature.
Well insulated hot water pipes will allow you to decrease the hot water temperature setting and therefore reduce your electricity or gas consumption. Conventional pipe insulation foam makes it easy to insulate those pipes that are exposed and are leaking heat.
We have made a thermal reading in our boiler house and we have clearly appreciated the heat difference between the insulated and non insulated area.
YouTube Video: How to look for heat leaks at home using a FLIR ONE thermal camera
Having in consideration the big amount of meters in piping that are needed to transport hot water around the house, non insulated pipes may be a considerable heat waste point and present a clear energy saving opportunity.
If you are living in an old house and your pipes are not insulated, you should consider to purchase some pipe insulation foam. If you have watched the video from above, you already know what big difference makes to have insulated hot water pipes.
4 - Radiator heat reflectors
If your house has thing walls and you have radiators mounted like in the picture below, you may be wasting heat.
Your radiators radiate heat both to the room and to the wall behind it. The picture below was taken by using a thermal camera and as it can be appreciated, the wall is much colder than the radiator so part of that heat, around 46 degrees Celsius, will be waster because it will be absorbed by the wall and leaked to the outside.
Years ago, we were having the same problem. We were living in an old house, with thin walls and we could notice straight away that our radiators heat was leaking straight away to the outside. We did install heat radiators and a point we need to flag up is that placing them behind the radiator can be a bit tricky.
We have found one branch that has a very good reputation, claims to reduce heat losses up to 45% and reflect back up to 95% of the heat radiated. Additionally, it already comes with the tools, material and instruction for making easier to place them behind the radiator.
If you want to know more, click on the image below and read the reviews from those who have already installed it. We have not installed one yet, but given the good reviews from hundreds of customer, we believe that it is a good energy saving solution for those with radiators and thin walls.
5 - Hot water cylinder insulation jacket
A poorly insulated hot water tank will loose its heat quickly if the surroundings are colder than the tank. As we need hot water all the year, a poorly insulated hot water tank will be wasted heat all the time which means that it will use more electricity than needed to keep the hot water temperature.
If you are living in an house or apartment and your hot boiler cylinder it is exposed without any type of insulation, you may consider to install a hot water cylinder jacket.
6 - Stove fan for heat distribution
For those of you who have a wood or electric stove at home, an inexpensive but very effective way to distribute the stove heat over the room is to install a stove fan.
In short, as it can be appreciated in the picture below, this is a fan that it is going to be placed over the stove and the fan is going to blow the heat away from the stove. This way, the heat that otherwise would flow directly to the ceiling and be partially wasted, can be efficiently and quickly distributed.
A stove fans work by using of the Peltier effect so this means that they do not use any energy at all and they are utterly economic to run. Without going into details, a Peltier device generates electricity by having one side hot and the other cold. This self generated electricity is used to run the fan without having to connect the stove fan to a power supply.
If you want to know more, have a look to this video where we explain how a Peltier module and a Sove fan work.
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