Look After Your Home's Heating Health on the Cheap

KENILWORTH, England, November 16 - We all know that a lot of heat is lost from your head and this is why it
is important to wear a hat outside and sometimes inside during the winter
months. Well this concept is very similar in keeping your house in good
heating health during the colder period. The heat must be kept inside. The
Heating and Hotwater Industry Council has come up with five top cost-saving
tips to keep your home in good energy efficiency order:

    1. Only heat the rooms you use the most. You don't have to use the
    central heating to heat the entire house. Use the thermostat valves on
    the radiators and keep them low or turned off in rooms that you don't
    use such as the guest room, spare bedrooms or study. Keep the main rooms
    you use toasty.

    2. Insulate your home. By not having your home insulated a quarter of
    your heat is lost through the roof. Insulating your loft is a simple and
    effective way to reduce your heating bills and you can even do it
    yourself.It should be at least eleven inches thick and you could save up
    to GBP150 a year. There are grants and offers available to help pay for
    loft insulation and you can find more information about this on our
    website at www.centralheating.co.uk. To check if your house is
    inadequately insulated then try the snow test. Compare your rooftop with
    that of a neighbour. If your house has no or little snow on the roof then
    it is poorly insulated because heat is being lost through the roof
    causing the snow to melt.

    3. Stop the draft. Light a match and the rising hot air will draw nearby
    cooler air into the match flame indicating a draft. When you heat your
    home the rising hot air will pull cold air from outside into the house.
    It is important to cut down on spaces where cold air could enter your
    house like underneath the door to the outside and keyholes. Keep the
    interior doors closed as this closes off natural air passageways so they
    can't act as chimneys allowing warm air to escape up through the house.
    To test whether your draft excluders on doors are worn, light a piece of
    incense and run it along the inside of the door frame. If the smoke blows
    inward you have a leak.

    4. Draw your curtains. At night and especially during the winter or when
    it is cold, drawing your curtains can help retain a considerable amount
    of heat. Properly fitted curtains can act as great insulation for your
    windows and reduce heat loss through the glass - particularly large
    windows and glass doors. If your curtains are not keeping in the heat in
    the winter, it is even worth considering investing in a new thicker,
    heavier set as you are sure to save money on your heating costs in the
    long run.

    5. Radiator Reflectors. For older houses with not much insulation on
    the outside walls, a good trick to keep the heat from your radiators
    inside the house is to place heat reflectors behind them. You can buy
    radiator foil which costs about GBP6.98 for 2.5 sq metres or simply use
    ordinary kitchen foil with the shiny side facing towards the back of the
    radiator.

To find out more about heating advice then why not go to our newly
launched HHIC website at www.centralheating.co.uk. This website will
enable people to find out realistic information regarding heating systems.

This easy to navigate and visually stimulating website presents impartial
advice to the consumer by providing real information to realistic problems.
It does this by providing a heating advice section library which uses
questions from previous customers and answered by our technical experts. This
means if a customer is experiencing a similar problem then they can find help
and a solution promptly.

Notes for Editors:

The Heating & Hotwater Industry Council is a member organisation
committed to effectively supporting and promoting the sustained growth of the
UK domestic heating and hot water industry. HHIC represents the industry at
all levels, networks across the industry, Government and beyond, facilities a
range of market development activities and research. It also provides
technical expertise.

For further information contact Jodie Wiltshire on +44-(0)-1926-334901 or
Email:jodie@hhic.org.uk

For further information contact Jodie Wiltshire on +44-(0)-1926-334901 or Email:jodie at hhic.org.uk