You probably know that switching power is a great way to save money. But if you are looking for other ways to save on your heating bills, we have a number of energy saving tips in the form of
small purchases to help you monitor and reduce your heating costs.

Here is 15 energy-efficient gadgets and tools to help you save on your heating bills:

Digital thermometers that record the maximum and minimum temperature since the last reset can show you how hot or cold different parts of your home are. This is a basic tool that will help you identify specific rooms in your home that require special attention. Based on the “if you don’t measure it, you can’t handle it,” thermometers are a good investment.

If you use an electric heater without thermostatic controls, your heater will continue to produce heat and use electricity even after a room is warm enough, a waste of energy and money. A plug-in thermostat can solve this problem. You plug the heater into the plug-in thermostat, which in turn is plugged into an outlet, much like plugging an electrical device into a timer. You can then set the desired temperature on the plug-in thermostat and once it reaches that temperature it cuts power to the heater.

Electric blankets can be a way to compensate for a cold room. Most electric blankets are designed to fit under the bottom sheet and are typically used to preheat a bed. During this warm-up phase, they have a relatively high power consumption, around 100 watts for a double bed. Once you are in bed, an electric blanket should be folded down in sleep mode. This setting uses about a quarter of the electricity, typically about 25 watts, which is equivalent to a few mid-wattage low-wattage bulbs. However, many people turn off the blanket completely after they are in bed.

An alternative to an electric blanket is a hot water bottle, although it’s not necessarily more energy efficient, especially if you turn off the blanket after you’re in bed – which is a good habit to get into. None of these options should replace sufficient bedding or a sufficiently heated bedroom. It is important to make sure that any room is not too cold, especially if the sleeper is an elderly, sick person or a young child.

A brass radiator wrench is a worthwhile investment for purging your radiators, which releases the gases captured in a radiator, making it cool to the top and reducing its efficiency. It’s worth paying extra to invest in a brass wrench, rather than buying a stamped steel one, as the latter tends to break easily. Many modern radiators do not have the standard square valve head – if so, you will also need a screwdriver. You can also install an automatic radiator bleeder.

A radiator shelf directly above a radiator helps project heat from the radiator into the room, rather than letting it rise to the ceiling. You can purchase specially designed radiator shelves, which easily clip onto most radiators.

Radiator reflector panels can prevent heat wastage from the back of a radiator to an exterior wall. They are especially useful in older homes where the walls are strong, which precludes the option of cavity wall insulation. You can purchase radiator reflector panels or radiator foil, or you can make your own by cutting out a piece of custom cardboard and covering it with the type of foil you use for cooking. You will need a long stick and double-sided tape to secure them to the wall behind the heater.

A radiator booster sits above a radiator and helps circulate heat. It can be used if the heat given off by your radiator is not sufficient for the size of the room or if the radiator is not in an ideal position – for example, when furniture is obstructing the flow of ‘convection’ air. ” around him. If you can’t easily replace the heater or reposition it, the booster can expel hot air faster. The radiator thermostat (TRV) or room thermostat (roomstat) can be lowered by a degree or two, which should generate savings. The booster will only turn on when its thermostat detects that the radiator is hot. If the radiator is on an exterior wall, especially a wall without a cavity, losses through the wall should be reduced.

Getting rid of drafts and unnecessary ventilation is a key way to reduce wasted heat, while also saving money on your energy bills.

A carbon monoxide alarm by itself is not energy efficient, but you should invest in one before making any changes to reduce drafts or change your home’s ventilation. This is when you mistakenly block an essential ventilation source, such as a combustion appliance that does not have a balanced exhaust duct, such as an old furnace. It’s a good idea to have an alarm anyway; carbon monoxide (CO) is highly toxic, but impossible to detect without an alarm because it is colorless, odorless and tasteless.

There are a number of simple solutions to drafts. Expanding foam, which comes in aerosol form, is useful for filling holes in masonry. For example, if you upgrade your boiler, any new boiler will have a balanced flue, which means you no longer need an air brick in an exterior wall in the area where the boiler is located. Thus, the obsolete air brick can be filled with expanding foam. A word of warning though: many gas fireplaces still don’t have balanced ductwork, so don’t assume you can block a room vent just because you are upgrading a gas fireplace. It is also important to keep any ventilation in the attic or below the level of the floorboards clear.

Another heat-saving measure is to fill in the medium-sized spaces in the parquet planks with papier-mâché – it’s easy to do, you just need to mix wet wallpaper paste with torn newspaper. – which is easy to squeeze in the spaces. This is a very efficient and inexpensive solution, assuming you don’t intend to expose floorboards as a feature.

Small spaces that allow drafts can be filled with a tube of putty. You may need a simple steel caulking gun, or the sealer may be packaged so you can use it without. It works well to fill in the gaps around baseboards and window frames.

A letterbox flap to keep drafts out of your front door is another inexpensive investment, especially useful if the outer flap doesn’t fit or return to its position very well.

Poorly fitting windows and doors can be a source of drafts. There are a variety of gaskets or sealing strips that can be used around doors and windows to reduce drafts and stop unnecessary loss of hot air.

Windows and doors will also benefit from thick or lined curtains, especially if they are only single glazed.

A chimney flask blocks cold air falling into a chimney, while preventing internal warm air from being drawn into the chimney when not in use. The balloon can be deflated and removed from the chimney as it is used. If you are looking for a more permanent solution and do not plan to use your fireplace at all, it is best to have a qualified craftsman plug the chimney at the top and close it at the bottom as this will be more economical in terms of fuel consumption. energy.