Prices of energy raw materials are rising. It is difficult to predict at what level they will ultimately slow down and how much the upcoming heating season will cost. How to reduce heating costs on your own without sacrificing comfort? After all, we do not want to lower the current standard of living. Prudent use of heating fuel is an intuitive solution, but improving central heating efficiency will pay off more. We advise you how to do it.
From this article you will learn:
- what are the most popular sources of heat in the house,
- which of them, by the nature of their operation, guarantee the lowest expenses,
- what you can do to increase the energy efficiency of your existing heating installation.
What heating system?
Of all home installations, heating generates the highest costs. It is expensive to purchase, install and operate. The amount of expenditure on the latter depends on our lifestyle, but also on global energy prices. There's no way around it, and the house needs to be heated. The costs will always be on our side.
The choice of a heating device is therefore important not only for our comfort, but also for the expenses we incur. We will not change energy prices, but we can change the central heating system to one that will use less fuel .
Type of heating devices in terms of fuel used:
- solid fuel boiler (coal, briquettes, wood, eco-pea coal, biomass, pellet)
- liquid fuel boiler (fuel oil)
- electric boiler (electricity)
- regular gas boiler and condensing boiler (natural gas)
- heat pump (energy from the environment plus a relatively small amount of electricity)
- hybrid installation – a combination of several heating technologies, e.g. a gas boiler with a heat pump or the use of an electric boiler powered by energy from a photovoltaic installation .
Check out the Salus offer at the Onninen wholesaler
Energy costs and the type of boiler
Solid fuel boilers do not perform favorably in operation, even though they are considered the cheapest. First, they require a separate boiler that we have to keep tidy. Secondly, it is necessary to buy heating fuel in advance - you should consider storing fuel in the summer months, and even this does not always guarantee a favorable price, especially now . Another issue is the ecological dimension, which is questionable in the case of solid fuel. Of course, it is necessary to distinguish between the old types of furnaces, the so-called "Cinderellas", from modern coal-fired boilers with high combustion standards, but the use of solid fuel still has little to do with ecology. The advantage of coal boilers, pellet boilers or eco-pea coal boilers should be low operating costs, but only if the prices of heating fuel remain at a reasonable level. Currently, this assumption does not hold true.
Solid fuel boilers are not predictable in terms of expenses during operation, because the price of fuel depends on global energy conditions as well as on political decisions over which we have no influence. The situation is similar with oil and gas heating - the most frequently chosen options if we try to stick to ecological recommendations. Gas boilers are easy to use (they do not require a boiler room or additional fuel by the user) and are more ecological than their coal counterparts. However , gas prices are also significantly influenced by the global economic and political situation , so again it is difficult to predict their level during operation.
Electric heating is most often used as an emergency heating system , a second source of heat. This is a very convenient option, but operationally difficult for a typical household to handle. An electric boiler or radiators is connected directly to the electrical socket, so such an installation consumes a large amount of electricity, and it does not get cheaper (after all, it is produced from coal, which is recently expensive or non-existent). If we do not have a photovoltaic installation that will cover the demand, the costs of collection will exceed the financial capabilities of many people.
What is profitable?
The most cost-effective solution will be to heat the building with an installation that draws energy from renewable sources (RES) or heating hybrids that use them. In this case, we do not pay for energy because we produce it ourselves. Natural resources are free, unlimited and independent of global energy policy fluctuations. Although regulations regarding the storage and resale of produced electricity may limit the benefits of this method, it is still profitable. Private production of electricity and heat (solar collectors, heat pump) gives independence from global fuel prices.
Let us remember that ecological home heating is supported by subsidies. Financing for modern heat sources can be obtained thanks to the Clean Air program. Its aim is to replace solid fuel devices with more modern, more environmentally friendly solutions and to carry out thermal modernization of houses, which will help reduce heat losses.
Check regulators and controllers at the Onninen wholesaler
Are you looking for a way to save? Choose smart controls
The prices of energy raw materials will increase, and ideally it would be to be able to become independent from them. Reliefs, subsidies and financial shields will not stop rising inflation, they will only postpone its effects. If we're in the mood for it, we can joke that the cheapest way would be to light a fire in the living room and rely on the traditional way of heating the house. But jokes, although they help us cope with the not always easy reality, will not change or fix it in the long run. It is worth thinking soberly and planning your steps in advance in such a difficult time.
Replacing the heating installation (which is expensive in itself) is not the only option to pay less. Not everyone can financially afford such an investment, and everyone wants to reduce the growing costs of heating their home. However, if we decide to modernize the central heating, we still have a chance to increase savings. This is provided by the installation of a system controlling any type of heating installation. It does not matter whether we use a solid fuel, liquid fuel, gas or electricity boiler. Or whether we heat the house with a heat pump or a heating hybrid. What matters is the way in which the installation consumes heating fuel, for which we will pay .
The system may be uneconomical at the consumption stage, unless we use appropriate heating controllers. Investing in them will be much cheaper than replacing the installation, and will bring tangible results. All because automating energy consumption is low-emission and energy-saving. As a result, it protects the environment and reduces bills. Installing the control system is not complicated. Reputable brands, such as SALUS Controls, offer customers free support during the selection, installation and subsequent use of control devices .
The heat source (boiler, heat pump) controlled by modern heating automation produces only as much heat as it needs to maintain the temperature we set. There is no overheating or cooling of the interior, which requires even more energy to restore a comfortable temperature. Peaceful regulators do not influence the prices of the energy source, but they monitor consumption. Thanks to this, heating costs are lower regardless of how we heat the house .
According to energy experts, lowering the temperature in homes by 1℃ translates into savings of 6-7% on energy bills . If we postpone this to the heating season, the leather will turn out to be worth the layette.
How does it work in practice?
Thanks to zone control , i.e. separate control in each room, we can reduce the temperature by a few degrees in places where we spend less time (e.g. in the dressing room or corridor). Likewise when we are not at home. A few days or even hours of more economical (i.e. lower) temperatures will make a difference when it comes to paying the bills. Consciously lowering the temperature - without giving up everyday comfort - will save hundreds or thousands of zlotys (depending on the area). Consider this solution - the heating season is just around the corner!