Our oil-fired central heating boilers play an important role in keeping us warm in the colder winter months. But as temperatures drop, heating oil usage increases, leading to higher bills.
Many people are already feeling the pinch of the cost of living crisis, and with many pensioners no longer receiving the winter fuel allowance, you might wonder why you use so much heating oil. and be thinking about how you can cut your bills. So we wanted to share our top tips for increasing the energy efficiency of your heating oil system - after all, it's never too soon to prep ahead.
Regular maintenance
Having your boiler serviced is the best way to keep it running as efficiently as possible and in tip-top condition. Home heating oil boilers become less efficient between services due to the build-up of carbon and sludge. A dirty boiler has to work harder to produce the same amount of heat, whereas a clean boiler ensures that fuel burns more completely, reducing wasted energy and ensuring the system operates at its highest efficiency. So if your boiler is due for its annual service, book it in now
Your heating oil boiler should be serviced by an OFTEC-registered heating oil engineer, who will inspect it and clean the appliance, replacing fuel nozzles and flexible fuel lines where required, so your heating oil goes further. Your engineer will also check for wear and tear so you can avoid expensive maintenance issues and breakdowns, and help prolong the life span of your boiler too.
Issues such as boiler lockout, intermittent running, and fuel pump seizure can directly result from poor maintenance.
Keep it clean
Keep your boiler clean to prevent tubes and pipes from getting clogged up which would hamper its performance and result in reduced efficiency. Just like anything else in your home, your boiler will collect dust, so remove any build-up regularly with a soft cloth.
Do not, however, try to clean the interior of your boiler – this should only be done by your OFTEC-registered heating oil engineer as part of your annual service.
Bleed your radiators
If your radiators need bleeding, they will not warm up properly. Turn on your heating and check each one for any cold patches or odd gurgling sounds. If the radiator is cold at the top, it needs bleeding and will not be working efficiently.
If you need to bleed your radiators, which can be done quickly and easily, turn the heating off and leave everything to cool down. Locate the valve and use your radiator key or a screwdriver to open it part-way by turning anti-clockwise. You’ll hear a hissing noise – that’s the air escaping. Once the hissing noise stops and water starts streaming out, re-tighten the valve and clean up any water with an old towel.
Turn down the heat
We all feel comfortable at different temperatures and there’s no doubt that a cold house can be bad for your health. The general advice from the World Health Organisation is to keep your home heated to between 18 and 21 degrees Celsius, especially if you are elderly or have a chronic illness.
However, lowering your thermostat by just 1 degree can lead to significant energy savings over time, and most people won’t notice the difference in temperature. According to the Energy Saving Trust, turning your thermostat down by 1 degree can save around 10% on your energy bill.
In addition, you can pair this and make further savings and achieve further efficiencies by setting your heating to come on later in the morning, and switch off earlier in the evening.
Insulate
Insulating the water pipes that lead from your boiler will reduce heat loss so your boiler won’t need to work as hard to maintain desired temperatures, therefore increasing the energy efficiency of your system and saving fuel costs.
Insulating the pipes also has the benefit of protecting them from freezing in cold weather conditions.
Pipe insulation is a very low-cost measure which can pay for itself over in the first year. Foam tubing can be purchased from your local DIY for just a few pounds and cut to size. And don’t forget your hot water tank if you have one. Insulate with a cylinder jacket – according to The Energy Savings Trust, ‘insulating your hot water cylinder is one of the easiest ways to save energy and therefore money’.
Use high-quality fuel
Did you know that using a high-quality heating oil can make your boiler up to 15% more efficient? Which means better fuel economy so your boiler will use less home heating oil over time.
Premium Heating Oil is standard kerosene that contains a fuel additive, so it burns more cleanly with less carbon build-up than standard heating oil, and therefore it achieves greater fuel economy. It works in existing systems so there’s no need to upgrade your boiler and you can make the switch at any time.
The good news is that it’s not just good for your boiler and efficiency, it’s also good for your heating oil tank. It reduces the build-up of sludge, has metal deactivators to reduce fuel degradation, and contains corrosion inhibitors that help stop rust. Plus it is better for the environment as it reduces carbon emissions, lowering your carbon footprint.
Our Premium Heating Oil comes as one of the benefits of our Premium Package*, which provides added value and also includes a 2 pence per litre discount on every delivery.
Consider upgrading
If your boiler is in poor condition, breaks down regularly or is very old, it will not be performing efficiently. A domestic heating oil boiler will, on average, last anywhere between 15 and 30 years depending on how well you look after it. But there’s no denying that older boilers are much less efficient than their modern counterparts as there have been dramatic improvements in oil boiler efficiencies over the years.
A new ultra-efficient model will also be more environmentally friendly due to a combination of lower emissions and significantly reduced oil consumption, and more reliable too.
If you are considering replacing your boiler, it’s a good time to consider alternative ways of heating your home.
While the outgoing Conservative Government championed heat pumps, they’re not suitable for every home, and even if they are suitable for yours, the cost of installation can be extremely high and often requires upgrading home insulation, installing underfloor heating, and upgrading radiators to achieve similar performance levels.
Converting to LPG is another option and might well be the ideal choice. A more environmentally friendly fuel, it’s highly efficient and versatile and LPG boilers are significantly cheaper than heating oil boilers too.
And the great news is that renewable gases are on the way so the future is looking bright for off-grid homes throughout the UK.
If you’d like to know more about converting from heating oil to LPG, please get in touch or call us on 01423 772 789 to find out more.
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