Heating tips

As much as a quarter of all UK carbon Dioxide emissions come from the fuels we use in our homes. An average of 3.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide is produced annually by each British central heating system.

Contents 1 Central Heating 2 Boilers 3 Radiators 4 Types of Heater 5 Fireplace and Woodheater tips 6 Other Heating Tips

[edit] Central Heating

• Central heating programmers

• Room thermostats

• Turn your central heating down

• Use a programable thermostat

• Consider a zoning control system

[edit] Boilers

• Efficient central heating boilers

• Boiler thermostats

[edit] Radiators

• Bleed trapped air from hot-water radiators

• Place heat-resistant radiator reflectors between exterior walls and the radiators

• Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs)

[edit] Types of Heater

• Storage Heaters

• Types of heating

• Tips for buying a heater

[edit] Fireplace and Woodheater tips

• See the Low Impact Factsheet for Wood stoves for the pros and cons of heating with wood.

• Use seasoned wood in woodheaters

• Store wood outside, covered on top with sides open to air.

• Store only a small amount of wood inside your home.

• Make sure your fire is getting enough air.

• If you collect your own wood, or prefer to buy unseasoned wood, plan to get it a year ahead. It takes green wood at least one year to dry out sufficiently to ensure it will be fully seasoned.

• Use 'good wood' for heating (if you must use wood) - Energy Saving Wales

• Never burn painted or treated wood, particleboard or plywood.

• Don't burn glossy magazines and newprint.

• Use pellets or wood chip - Energy Saving Wales

• Are manufactured logs toxic or are they better than firewood?

• CREEative Energy's SHKOODAOW fire log has tested to be the cleanest product available on the market in Canada. Shkoodaow means fire in the Cree language. The fuel comes in various forms. There is the traditional fire log that is to be used only in conventional brick fireplaces and fire starters formed into balls and pucks.

• Turn old newspaper into compact pulp logs with Natural Collection's Logmaker. You get roughly one log per newspaper, and each log will burn for up to an hour. Easy to use, and ideal if you’re miles from recycling facilities.

• Let your woodheater go out over night and run an electric heater in the morning for 2 hours, rather than keeping your woodheater alight for the night causing unnecessary smoke and pollution.

[edit] Other Heating Tips

• Water heating tips

• Gas safety

• Tips for improving insulation

• Keep all south-facing glass clean

• Make sure that objects do not block the sunlight shining on concrete slab floors or heat-absorbing walls

• Use a portable space heater with a heat transfer liquid

• Put metal or other non-meltable container of water on the radiator for a simple but effective humidifier.

• Insulate hot water pipes or hot air ducts with fiberglass or other suitable material.

• Use wheat or rice bags like hot water bottles

• Leave hot water in the bathtub or in cooking pots instead of draining it immediately. This allows the water's stored heat to dissipate into your home rather than being lost down the drain.

• Leave your oven door open after you have cooked something to let the warm air help heat your home.