According to the Met Office, spring kicked off with a mild and wet March with the UK experiencing 27% more rainfall than an average March, and April hasn’t felt much better!
Many of us are desperately hoping for some welcome spring sunshine and warmer weather and are looking forward to saving on our heating oil or LPG fuel costs and switching down or turning off the heating, so avoiding heat loss at home is probably not at the forefront of our minds. But with generally warmer and drier weather during summer (we'll keep our fingers crossed!), it can be a great time to address heat loss in your home to make sure you’re all nice and snug for winter.
Here we’re going to look at the reasons why, as well as what you can do to prevent heat loss at home, whilst keeping one eye on sustainability as we all try to do our bit for the environment and reduce our carbon footprint.
3 great reasons to tackle heat loss in summer
We’ve already mentioned the weather - reason number one. Not having to rely on your heating in the summer months makes it the perfect time to get your heating oil or LPG boiler serviced to ensure it is in tip-top condition for the winter months ahead and also protect you and your family from carbon monoxide poisoning too. A win-win!
It's also a proactive approach that can address potential heating issues before they become major problems, reducing the likelihood of expensive breakdowns in the winter months and also potentially extending your boiler's lifespan. Plus having your boiler serviced is great for the environment. So not only does it benefit your pocket as it ensures your boiler is running at peak efficiency, conserving fuel, a properly serviced boiler produces fewer harmful emissions and therefore contributes to cleaner air and a healthier environment for us all.
Our second reason is the availability of contractors. Many contractors such as OFTEC registered heating oil engineers, GAS SAFE LPG engineers, and home improvement professionals, are less busy during the summer months making it easier to book them in, with shorter waiting times, to get work done at home.
Number three is comfort – whilst it’s possibly the last thing on your mind in the summer, it’s worth remembering that insulation has benefits in summer months as well as the colder months ahead. Insulation keeps the cold air in and the warm air out. So not only will insulation ensure a warm home is kept warm in the winter months, it also creates a barrier that protects your home from the effects of sunshine on walls and seeping through windows on a hot summer day, so cool air stays inside and the heat stays outside.
Sustainable ways to prevent heat loss in your home
Insulation
We’ve already touched on insulation, and making sure your home is well insulated is important from comfort, energy-saving, and environmental perspective. There are four main sources of heat loss at home, and the Energy Saving Trust estimates that a quarter of heat is lost through the roof of an uninsulated home.
There are different types of insulation available, each with its advantages and disadvantages so it's important to consider all these factors when choosing the right insulation for your home. According to Insulation Manufacturers Association‘, insulation materials can be divided into three main categories: mineral, organic synthetic and natural (plant and animal).’ Sustainable options with low embodied carbon are made from natural products and are sustainably produced, They include sheep’s wool, one of the most breathable natural fibres, recycled cellulose insulation which is made from recycled paper treated with fire retardants and can be blown into wall cavities and fibreglass insulation, made from sand, which is one of the most common and often used in walls, ceilings, floors, and attics.
Draught-proofing
Whilst insulation can be pricy, draught-proofing your home is inobtrusive and can be done with little expense. According to The Energy Saving Trust, little fixes can mount up to significant savings and lower carbon emissions. So the cost of draught-proofing will be quickly recovered by the energy savings you make - a no-brainer!
Draught excluder tape for doors and windows can be bought for just a few pounds from your local DIY or hardware shop and will reduce warm air from leaking out and cold air leaking in, reducing the workload on your central heating system, lowering your energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and protecting you from drafts.
And it doesn’t have to cost you anything to make a draught excluder. You can use things you’ve already got at home. Repurpose old clothing such as an old pair of jeans, a woolly jumper sleeve, or curtains, measure the width of the unwanted gap in your door or window frame that you want to cover, cut to the length, sew together, then fill with eco-friendly stuffing such as old clothing that can’t be donated, old socks with holes in them, old pillow padding, and sew up the end.
Don’t forget those small gaps around your pipework and skirting boards. Silicone fillers, again an inexpensive purchase, can be used to fill these gaps quickly and easily.
Bleed your radiators
An important maintenance task - don’t overlook bleeding your radiators! Summer is the ideal time to do this when your heating is turned off. Your radiators need to be cold before you attempt to bleed them so you don’t risk scalding yourself.
Over time, air becomes trapped inside radiators – radiators with trapped air will feel warm at the bottom but gradually cool towards the top, Trapped air can’t flow freely around the radiator, but instead can create air pockets that prevent hot water from circulating, resulting in cold spots and preventing the hot water from heating the entire radiator. In addition, air pockets can contribute to internal corrosion of your radiators. Bleeding them allows the trapped air to escape and enables the hot water to flow freely and evenly so your radiators can perform in optimal shape.
So turn your heating off and let your radiators cool down, locate the bleed valve on the radiator (usually at the top or side, it's a small metal square or screw inside a surrounding nut), position a container beneath the bleed valve to catch any water, open the bleed valve with a radiator key or a screwdriver (turn slowly anticlockwise), and release the trapped air, keeping the radiator valve open until water starts to flow consistently without any air bubbles. Then close the bleed valve again, and check the pressure valve on your boiler to ensure its at the correct level, adding more water if needed. Then that's it, you're all done.
Bleeding your radiators will ensure your heating system operates efficiently and cost-effectively, increasing energy efficiency and reducing energy consumption.
Turn on your heating once a month
With summer temperatures we all tend to use our central heating much less, whereas in the winter months, we tend to use it much more.
Clicking it on for 10 minutes once a month in summer will allow all the components to fire up and keep moving, potentially preventing them from seizing or any unforeseen issues arising once the weather turns - one of the biggest causes of boiler problems and breakdowns is due to inactivity.
Reducing heat loss in your home will not only keep your heating oil or LPG bills down, but it will ultimately also reduce your carbon emissions and improve your carbon footprint too. And if you're a heating oil user, don't forget that upgrading to Premium Heating Oil, which is cleaner burning and more economical than traditional kerosene heating oil, is a great way to save on energy costs and reduce your environmental impact too.
Summer is also a good time to consider upgrading your heating system, and one of the best upgrades is to add some smart heating controls so you can manage your heating via an app on your mobile phone or tablet. That way you can switch your heating on when you really need it – and switch it off again when you don’t, saving energy, reducing bills and reducing your environmental impact too.
And just one final note – if you’re currently using heating oil and your boiler is near the end of its life, breaking down regularly, or very inefficient, you may want to think about switching to another fuel source such as LPG, rather than simply installing a like-for-like heating oil boiler. It’s exciting times for off-grid homes and the LPG industry with a rosy future ahead, with renewable gases on their way soon – another great way to reduce your carbon footprint. Click here to read about the many benefits of choosing LPG to heat your home or give us a call on 01423 772 789 and we'll go through everything you need to know about LPG.