Heating oil can be a large expense for rural homeowners, especially over the winter months. Follow these tips to save as much money possible on your heating oil bills all year round.
You can begin using less heating oil immediately by setting your thermostat to come on at least an hour before you need it. This seems counterintuitive, but setting your heating to come on early will make the house comfortable for you, making it much less likely you’ll turn your thermostat up in an attempt to heat your house up quickly. Turning up the temperature in order to quickly warm your house is extremely inefficient, and should be avoided at all times if possible.
Draft excluders are a quick and affordable way of saving money on your heating bills, potentially saving you hundreds of pounds in heating costs over the years. Installing energy-saving solutions like solid-core doors and double- or even triple-glazed windows will cost more upfront, but if you’re planning on staying in your house for years, they’re an investment that can save you hundreds of pounds over time. They also have the added benefit of increasing your property’s value, as well as insulating your home from sound.
Another way to save money on your heating costs is to have your house thoroughly insulated. This is especially important in homes which were constructed over twenty years ago, as they will not have been built to modern standards. See how much properly insulating your house could save you on the Energy Saving Trust website. As with improving your doors and windows, insulating your home will save you more the longer you stay in your current house, and will also boost the value of your property if you ever come to sell.
You can also save money on your heating oil by joining a local community group with your neighbours — we’ve written about how to join the Surlingham Parish Council group here. Plus, some heating oil companies, such as Rix, offer an easy payment plan, which can help you or your community group offset the upfront cost.
To make sure you’re burning heating oil with maximum efficiency, be sure to regularly bleed your radiators, as well as having your oil tank serviced by an OFTEC-registered technician so it’s running at maximum efficiency. You can find your nearest OFTEC-registered technician here.
It’s also important to take advantage of any heating benefits which you may be entitled to in order to keep your heating expenses down to the absolute minimum. You can check which heating benefits you may be entitled on the government website.
Follow these tips, alongside common-sense tactics such as turning the heating off when there is nobody indoors and when everyone is asleep, and you’ll save as much money as possible on your heating oil.
Information and copy supplied by Rix Petroleum
Surlingham 