Opening up those winter power bills can be daunting, especially if you know you’ve needed extra warmth during that month. But keeping warm in winter doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Staying warm means staying healthy and there are ways to reduce your heating costs without sacrificing on comfort.
Being energy savvy doesn’t have to mean putting up with the cold and a few little tips and tricks can go a long way to reduce heating costs.
Try these five tips and next time you open your monthly power bill, you might be pleasantly surprised at the difference you can make.
Set and forget…
Do you know all the ways in which you can use your heat pump? Making the most of your heat pump’s programming features can go a long way towards making sure your home is always the right temperature and keeping your bills in check.
Heat pumps have a wide range of features that have all been designed to help you get the most from your heat pump. Most of all, the programming feature is there to help reduce your energy usage, in turn reducing your heating costs.
Mitsubishi Electric’s advanced infrared controller lets you programme your heat pump up to four times within each 24 hour period for up to seven days.
That means for the whole week, your heat pump can be working to the times you have set without you having keep resetting the timer each day. Each setting can be different from the next. For example, you might want more heat first thing in the morning and less in the evening. You have the flexibility to programme your heat pump any way you like around the clock.
Ultimately, by setting the programming feature of your heat pump you are able to regulate your energy usage. Rather than blasting the heat pump on the highest fan speed when you’re feeling cold, your heat pump will work at suitable temperatures and speed throughout the day, making things more comfortable and stopping the blast usage.
Keep on top of your heat pump maintenance
There are many similarities between heat pumps and cars. Much like a car your heat pump needs to be regularly serviced to keep it performing well. Waiting for an issue to arise is far more costly than paying for ongoing routine maintenance.
Most importantly, looking after your heat pump will extend its lifetime and give you peace of mind.
You can clean the filters yourself at any time, but a full service is far more in-depth and should be done at least once a year.
Professional servicing looks at both indoor and outdoor units. Everything from leaks to voltage are checked to ensure there is nothing that could cause a spike in your heating costs. Heat and Cool’s maintenance special offer can help you to keep on top of this and keep those bills down.
Don’t let the heat escape and reduce your heating costs
Keeping all that heat your heat pump has created inside your home is so important for optimising your heat pump energy. The most obvious ways to do this is to keep doors and windows closed, but you’ll also need to take a closer look to spot any areas where heat may be escaping.
Something as simple as a draft stopper could make a massive difference in how warm your home is. Drafts from doors that lead to open spaces like a garage should be blocked and try to keep heated areas as closed off as possible. The further the heat has to travel, the more energy it will need.
Windows can often be a source of drafts and heat leakage and they are hard to detect. While they may look absolutely fine, your windows could well be letting heat escape.
The trick to finding window leaks is with a simple candle test. Hold a lit candle steadily to your windows and watch the flame. If it wobbles at all, you’ll have found the culprit.
Keep the outdoor unit tidy
Your outdoor heat pump unit is just as important – if not more important – than your indoor unit. With an increase in wild weather during the winter months, the outdoor unit can become clogged with all sorts of debris. You’ll need to regularly check your outdoor unit for leaves, twigs and dirt to keep the whole system working efficiently.
It’s important to check your outdoor unit regularly, especially through the winter months. When you arrange for a professional service, our technician will also ensure the outdoor unit is completely clear to prevent any further damage.
Keep cosy and draw your curtains
Curtains aren’t just decorative and they can make a huge difference to keeping you warm, especially as many of us have large windows these days. This is probably the simplest ways to reduce your heating costs, yet it’s often not considered.
Having thermal curtains is great for keeping in warmth, but they don’t have to be top of the range to do they job of keeping your energy bills down.
Closing your curtains will help to preserve any heat that has developed over the course of the day. As night falls and your windows become cold, the curtains will block the extra chill from the glass.
Whether you have curtains or blinds, pull them closed once the sun starts to set.
Even the smallest action can make a big difference to your monthly power bill. Over time, small changes will become habitual and reduce heating costs even further.
If you’re thinking of having a heat pump installed, call us today for a quote.