Saving money on your heating bills while trying to keep your home toasty can be tricky. The basics of heat science (thermodynamics) could help you avoid wasting energy - so we’ve put together a quick guide on how it works, with tips for saving in the home.
What’s thermodynamics?
It’s how heat energy moves between different objects (systems). These systems can be anything – for example a tennis ball, a lake, a dog, or a radiator.
There are four laws of thermodynamics, but the first three are the most useful when thinking about heating your home:
• Thermal equilibrium. When two separate systems are the same temperature as the third system (thermal equilibrium), they're also in equilibrium with each other.
• Energy can be changed from one form to another (eg from energy to heat), but the amount of energy stays the same.
• If two systems have different temperatures, then the heat will move from the hot one to the cold one until they’re even (thermal equilibrium).
Apply thermodynamics at home
This is about hot and cold air moving around, and how they interact with each other to become the same temperature. So controlling how heat moves around (and out of) your house helps you to avoid wasting energy - which can push your bill up.
We’ve pulled together some tips to help you:
Thermostat:
• Keep your thermostat at around 18-21 °C, and make sure you turn it down when you go on holiday.
• Turn off the radiators in unused rooms, such as a spare bedroom – and keep the door closed.
• Clean the air ducts in heaters and fans to stop them clogging up.
Doors and windows:
• Use weatherproof stripping to seal cracks around doors and windows – this way less warm air will escape.
• Keep doors closed to stop heat escaping - not just room doors but the oven door too (so stop peeking at your baking cake).
• Avoid opening the fridge or freezer if you don’t need to – it uses more energy to get back to the set temperature after cold air escapes.
• In winter, open the curtains during the day to let the warmth in and close the curtains at night to stop the heat escaping.
Insulation:
• Make sure your walls, attic and floors are properly insulated – it'll save you money in the long run.
• Kit out your windows with double-glazing to create a thicker barrier against the cold air outside.
Learn more about energy saving at home for tips on how to be energy efficient. Whether you’re keeping the heat in or the cold out, get peace of mind knowing you’re protected with boiler cover and avoid being without heat altogether.