There are plenty of tips on the best ways to save energy and lower your heating bills this winter. Although there are many useful tips, not all tips are good. And some of them might even cost you more in the long run. I spoke with home energy and renovation expert Fergal Cantwell of EnviroBead to get his tips on what you can do to save money and what the energy saving myths are.
You should insulate the rafter space in your attic
Insulating your attic is one of the most effective ways to keep the heat in your home. It is a relatively inexpensive job, but one that will yield immediate benefits.
Insulation between the rafters is not necessary unless you are using the attic as a room. “Attics are supposed to be cold,” Cantwell explains. Attics are insulated to prevent heat from escaping from rooms below into the attic. The ceiling level is the only area that needs to be insulated.
For a three-bedroom semi-detached house with an attic of approximately 50 m² (538 sq ft), the grant allowance is €1,300. The grant covers approx. 80 to 90% of the total cost of the works. The work should not take more than half a day.
Turn off the heating in rooms you are not using
“I don’t agree with that advice,” says Cantwell, who recommends heating these rooms to a low setting rather than turning the heat off completely. “It’s important to have some warmth in a room even when it’s not being used,” he explains. Otherwise, there is a risk that condensation, dampness and mold will become a problem. Blocking the air vents to keep the cold out is another thing Cantwell warns against doing. Good ventilation is essential to maintain good air quality.
A better solution is to install Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRV) on your radiators. This simple and inexpensive measure will allow you to control each radiator individually. “The more control you have over your heating system, the more efficient it will be.” Says Cantwell. TRVs typically have settings from 1 to 5. For rooms you are not using, you can set the control to 1 or 2 to remove cold from the room.
Run your devices overnight
Electricity at the night rate is significantly cheaper than the day rate. So the advice is to run appliances like dishwashers, washing machines and dryers overnight after you’ve gone to bed.
However, Cantwell suggests you do so with caution. Dishwashers and clothes dryers, in particular, can cause fires if faulty. Instead, he suggests using them first thing in the morning while you’re awake and able to deal with a problem should it arise.
Electricity at night or off-peak rates operates from 11pm to 8am in winter. And, in summer, until the clocks return at the end of October, the night hours are from midnight to 9am.
Using the dishwasher instead of washing your hands
You’ll use more hot water when washing your hands than when using a dishwasher, making it a less energy-efficient and more expensive way to wash your dishes.
Remember that the higher your device’s rating, the more energy efficient it will be. If you have an old dishwasher, it might be worth replacing it with a newer model with as high a rating as possible. “It’s always better to spend a little more to get a better-rated device,” Cantwell says. This will save you money in the long run.
Stock up on hot drinks to stay warm
If drinking endless cups of tea is your strategy for staying warm this winter, remember that the kettle is one of the most expensive appliances to run, says Cantwell. Often the kettle is filled to the brim to make a single cup of tea, which is a huge waste of energy.
An easy remedy is to consider installing a boiling water tap. Not only will it give you instant boiling water and save you space in your kitchen, it will also save you on energy costs. Quooker says the cost of using its hot water tap is one cent per liter delivered, or about three cents per day. The cost of boiling a full kettle (which typically holds 1.5 liters) is about 2.5 cents per boil. This would suggest that a Quooker could save users a significant amount of money, especially those who regularly boil their kettle.
Electric showers are another expensive item to run. “If you can replace your power shower, consider doing so,” recommends Cantwell. If not, you need to drastically limit the time you spend in the shower.
Insulate your radiators
This is advice I read recently and made me smile. The reasoning was that the paint would insulate the radiator and trap the heat to keep it warm. But all the interest of the radiators is to evacuate the heat. Painting radiators will make them less efficient and may also void the manufacturer’s warranty.
“Covering the radiators in any way is a terrible idea,” says Cantwell. He also strongly advises against radiator covers. Radiator covers prevent radiators from operating efficiently. Because the air must pass through a slot or grate, the thermostat will have difficulty reading the temperature. This runs the heater at full power when it doesn’t need it, which will cost you money. If you have radiator covers in your home, you may want to consider removing them.
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