How to cut your heating bill with a thermostat

The thermostat is a fundamental tool for saving on heating costs and, above all, for avoiding wasting gas. The key is knowing how to use it properly, managing temperatures and schedules based on your home (or even office) habits. For example, it's pointless to set temperatures too high: the rooms will not heat up faster, but there will only be an unnecessary increase in consumption.  The right temperature for rooms you frequent is between 20 and 21 degrees Celsius during the day and between 18 and 19 degrees Celsius at night, or when you're away from home. And keep in mind that just one degree less translates into a 5 to 10 percent reduction in your heating bill.

To save money and avoid waste with heating, thanks also to the thermostat, it is important to pay attention

• The first move to put into practice is to adjust the thermostat and set the internal temperature based on actual needs. Obviously, to achieve the desired savings it is essential that the thermostat works correctly: therefore do not neglect checking the filters and the boiler maintenance and radiators.
• Once the check has been carried out, the first step to take is to set the temperature to minimum, around 20 degrees: this way, unnecessary heat loss is avoided and you can save up to 15 percent on gas and heating.
• The best time to turn it on is in the morning, just before you wake up. Don't forget to lower the temperature during the day if the house is empty, then bring it back to the famous 20-21 degrees when you return, and to 18-19 degrees at night.
• Program your thermostat to suit your lifestyle.
• Typically, we tend to set the thermostat to low temperatures when we're away from home and to higher temperatures when we're at home, turning off the boiler at night. However, this approach doesn't necessarily save costs or prevent energy waste. The most suitable solution, however, is to: keep the heating on throughout the day at a minimum temperature which can still maintain heat and reduce humidity within the home environment (remember that a boiler set to “minimum” is much more efficient than one operating at high temperatures because the amount of heat lost in the fumes is lower).
• Modern heating systems are also equipped with a device capable of not only programming the thermostat discontinuously but also regulating the water flow temperatureAnd this means that by keeping the boiler on at minimum and the water flow temperature low, you will achieve a 15 percent saving.
• Thermostatic valves are invaluable for saving money in both independent systems and in the case of shared heating. They regulate the temperature correctly, avoiding waste and dispersion. In apartment buildings, thermostatic valves can ensure that the upper floors are not overheated, which in turn leads to unnecessary costs.
• Don't open the windows if the room feels too hot. You'll end up with unnecessary heat loss, which will then have to re-accumulate with new gas supplies (and costs). It's better to ensure the room reaches the correct temperature naturally, without ventilation.
• Rather air out the rooms with the radiators off.

How to keep rooms warm and comfortable

Once heated the rooms it is necessary maintain the right temperature.

Here are some simple, helpful tips:

• First of all, make sure the house is well insulated both in the roof and in the attic and check that both the inside and outside or the cavity between the walls is insulated.
• even the cellar or cellar ceiling garage must be insulated, so as to avoid heat loss.
• To avoid drafts coming from windows and doors, apply the double glazing or new windowsAlternatively, use draft excluders.
• Check that the radiators are working properly and evaluate whether it is appropriate to install thermostatic valves on the radiators capable of varying the temperature according to needs.
• Also evaluate whether it is necessary to install other heating systems such as low-consumption electric radiators, Pellet stoves or underfloor heating.
• If you have underfloor heating, avoid constant temperature changes and keep them stable: otherwise you only risk increasing consumption and heat loss.
• To make sure you always have hot water, insulate the pipes between boilers and tankso Especially if it's located in the attic. Pipes located in the attic should be insulated at the top, not the bottom: only then will they receive heat from the rooms below.

How smart thermostats work