How can you stay warm in your rental property this winter, without it costing you and the planet a fortune?
January brought freezing conditions and snow for much of the country, with most of us cranking up the heating thermostat or keeping our heating on for longer, to try and keep cosy. But, as we all know, this comes at a cost. Higher energy usage means higher energy bills, not to mention a larger carbon footprint, all during the cost of living crisis and the climate crisis.
So, here are five ways you can help to keep your rental property warmer through the winter, benefiting both your pocket and the planet.
- Insulate, insulate, insulate!
Your hot water cylinder and your water pipes, to be precise! As the saying goes, we want to work smarter, not harder – in other words, we want to make sure everything is working as efficiently as possible.
Insulate your hot water tank
If your property has a hot water cylinder, then check if it’s insulated. If not, head to a DIY centre or plumbers’ merchants for a hot water cylinder jacket, for around £20. There should be some easy-to-follow fitting instructions included. Once insulated, the cylinder will retain heat better, meaning your water heats quicker, and stays hotter for longer – in fact, the standard 80mm insulation could save you up to £195 a year!
If your tank is already lagged (wearing a jacket) then check the jacket thickness – upgrading from a 25mm thick jacket to a 80mm thick jacket can save around £45 a year.
Insulate your pipes
While you should speak to your landlord about insulating outdoor pipes to prevent them freezing, we also recommend insulating any indoor exposed pipes, too. These transport hot water around your property, so if they’re not lagged, your hot water won’t stay hot for as long.
You can easily fit your own insulation; measure the length and diameter of your pipes, then head to a DIY store to find your pipe insulation – you’re looking for grey foam tubes, likely to cost a few pounds each. Just slip the foam tubes over the pipes, making sure that the pipes are cold first, so you don’t burn your fingers!
- Make sure your radiators are working efficiently
Bleed your radiators
Are your radiators working as efficiently as they could be? Check for any cold spots on your radiators, particularly along the top – these indicate trapped air, stopping the hot water from rising through the radiator. You can release the air by bleeding the radiator – if you don’t already have a radiator key, you can buy one cheaply from a DIY store. Use the key to turn the valve at the top of the radiator – any air inside will rush out with a hissing sound. Close the valve again as soon as you see a drip of water. It’s worth checking your boiler pressure after bleeding your radiators – see tip four, below, for how.
Install reflector panels
Now that your radiators are working well, you want to make sure the heat stays in your property. Reflective radiator panels or radiator reflective roll is a cheap way to stop losing heat through your exterior walls – you can find these in the DIY store, too. Just measure the sizes needed, cut to size, and use double-sided tape to fix the reflector roll behind any radiators on exterior walls.
This will maximise the heat from your radiators, reflecting heat back into the room so that it warms up faster and stays warmer for longer.
Bonus tip: Move any furniture away from your radiators, and remove any radiator covers. This makes sure no heat is being lost.
- Draught-proof your property
According to the Energy Saving Trust, draught-proofing is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to save energy in your property. So, let’s get to it!
While you do need some controlled ventilation in your property, you don’t need draughts – they let cold air into your home and suck the warm air out, wasting heat and wasting your money.
Firstly, you can reduce the heat lost through your windows simply by closing your curtains before it gets dark each evening – thermal curtains will make the biggest difference.
You can also buy draught-proofing strips for your windows and doors; just check you’re choosing the right type for your type of window. Draught excluders are a simple solution for any gaps at the bottom of a door, while a keyhole cover can work wonders on your front door. Any gaps in floorboards or skirting boards can be filled with filler or caulk – just make sure you have your landlord’s permission before you make any permanent fixes.
If you have a chimney, consider a chimney draft excluder, also known as a fire balloon. Be sure to measure your chimney so that you can buy the right size, to ensure the draught excluder fits snuggly. Fire balloons cost around £20 and could save you around £55 a year on your energy bills. Keep in mind that any type of chimney-blocking device can only be used where a gas fire is disconnected from the gas supply and no longer in use.
- Look after your boiler
Have your boiler serviced annually
You want to be sure that your boiler is working properly – an annual service by a registered engineer will ensure that your boiler is running as efficiently as it can, so you’re not paying out more than you need to on your energy bills.
Looking after your boiler will keep it running for longer, too, and the regular checks mean that any potential issues can be spotted and rectified before they become costly or difficult to repair. It’s really important that you use a Gas Safe Registered engineer.
Keep an eye on your boiler pressure
If your boiler pressure is too low, your heating system can’t work efficiently, using more energy to heat your home to your chosen temperature. So, it’s worth checking the pressure gauge on your boiler regularly. This tells you the pressure of the water circulating in the heating system.
The exact recommended pressure level will vary depending on the boiler manufacturer, but generally, anywhere between 1.0 and 2.0 bar is ideal.
On most newer boilers, the pressure gauge will be on the front of your boiler or under the control panel. On older boilers, it may be harder to find. Check your boiler manual if you can’t find it and for help with increasing the pressure.
- Use your heating controls correctly
Having an efficient boiler and radiators is great, but you still need to use them in the most economical way to be sure that you’re not wasting energy and money. By installing and using a programmer, thermostat, and thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) correctly, you could save up to £110 a year.
Using your programmer
The programmer is the timer that controls when your heating and hot water turn on and off. Instead of leaving your heating and hot water on all day, use the programmer to set them to turn on when you need them – aim to turn them on around 30 minutes before you get up, turn them off when you’re not home to enjoy the benefit of them, and to turn them off around 30 minutes before you go to bed.
Set your room thermostat
You should have a main thermostat in your home, likely to be in a hallway. When your heating is on, the thermostat will turn it off when your home reaches your chosen temperature, and then turn the heating back on again if the temperature drops. This means that you’re not paying more than you need to, to heat your home and saves energy too.
Set the thermostat to the lowest temperature you feel you need; this might be somewhere between 18°C and 21°C. Turning your thermostat down from 22°C to 21°C could save you up to £90 a year!
Install and use TRV radiator controls
Thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) let you control the temperature of each radiator in your heating system, meaning you can choose which rooms you want to heat, and how warm you want it to be in each of those rooms. The valve works by sensing the temperature and adjusting the flow of hot water into the radiator accordingly.
The valves usually have settings one to five on them, and a snowflake sign. Start with these set at three or four in the rooms you use, only turning them higher if you need to. Turn them down lower in the rooms you’re not using. The snowflake sign is a frost prevention setting, turning the radiator off but allowing enough hot water through them to stop pipes freezing.
Smart controls – the next level in heating controls
If your property already has a programmer, room thermostat and TRVS, ask your landlord to look into the benefits of smart controls. These devices connect to the internet, allowing you even greater control of your heating and hot water energy usage. For example, the remote access means you can delay your heating switching on if you’re going to be home later than planned, or if you’re away for a few days and there’s a spell of warmer weather, you can easily turn down your room thermostat.
Along with the additional programming ability, smart controls can also monitor your energy usage, helping to optimise energy efficiencies and reduce waste. This means you don’t spend anymore than you need to on your energy bills, and you can reduce your carbon emissions at the same time.
Looking for more energy efficiency tips for heating your home?
If you’re keen to find more ways to stay warmer for less this winter, then a good starting point is the Energy Saving Trust website. Just remember to talk to your landlord before you make any changes to your home – every improvement made is an investment in their property. There may also be funding available for making home improvements if you live in an energy inefficient property; again, see the Energy Saving Trust website to find out more.
Another great source of information is your local heating engineer – they’ll be able to give you some tips and advice specific to your property type and location.
Here’s to keeping cosy while saving energy, cutting your bills and your carbon footprint!
