How to save money on your gas bills
We all know that feeling when you open your mail to find out you’ve received a huge gas bill from your utilities company!
First of all it’s shock, then outrage and then panic at how you’re going to pay this bill. Another thing you might be thinking is… “How the heck did my gas bill get so high?”
Now, first let’s assume you haven’t been cranking up your heating to Sahara Desert level temperatures, that you’ve not got it switched on 24/7 AND that your utility company hasn’t got you on one of their highest tariffs.
So now there’s something you need to check before you try switching your utilities to a new provider, which let’s face it can be a hassle comparing all the rates and getting readings on your meters.
You’ll want to check your usage. If it seems that you’re using a lot of gas and yet don’t seem to have the heating on that much (and your house isn’t that warm), then there could be another culprit for the massive gas bills you’re receiving.
Suspect in the crime: An inefficient heating system.
You might be thinking, well that doesn’t sound very impressive and to be honest I wish I could make it sound more sexy and mind blowing, but what I’m about to tell you will give you a new perspective on how you’re heating your home… and why you could be throwing money out of the doors, windows and every nook and cranny that leads outside.
So, let me ask you something….
When was the last time you had your heating system serviced?
I’d probably hazard a guess at never, since most homeowners neglect their system.
You may be thinking… “But, I have my boiler serviced every year, isn’t that good enough?”.
And the answer, is no it’s not.
Yes, a boiler service ensures your boiler is working properly and is SAFE to operate, but it doesn’t look at the holistic view of your heating, which includes all of your pipes and radiators.
Depending on the age of your system (when it was first installed, or last serviced) you may have decades of sludge and scale circulating in your system that could be preventing your radiators from getting warm and causing your boiler to work much harder than it needs to… hence the expensive gas bills!
Your heating pipes and radiators are a closed system, so there’s nowhere for any scale build up to go, other than cling to the inside of your pipes and radiators.
These deposits narrow the pipes (much like plaque buildup inside arteries in the human body) and slow the system, causing it to be inefficient.
With this buildup, not only is your boiler having to work extra hard to “pump” your system, you could be heading towards a “heart attack”… meaning a full system failure.
So not only are you hemorrhaging money with your gas bills, you could be running the risk of a very expensive boiler replacement.
But, don’t worry, there is something you can do about this, to not only preserve the life of your boiler but to make your system efficient to reduce your gas bills.
It’s called a Power Flush.
Essentially it’s a way to drain all the dirty water from your system, then do a superhero move of removing the majority of the muck that’s coating the insides of your pipes and radiators and then putting it all back together with “stuff” that ensure it stays clean for a good long while.
The benefits of having a power flush are:
Removing corrosive elements from the system
Not only does the sludge, scale and muck block your system, it also has a corrosive element to it, so it’s slowly eating away at the insides of your pipes and radiators which could eventually cause pin holes in radiators and even burst pipes. No one wants water pouring through their ceiling in the middle of the night because a fitting has burst due to corrosion.
Restoring water flow
Your boiler is possibly working ten times harder than it needs to trying to pump a system full of dirty water through narrowed pipes that could be three times smaller than they should be.
Once your system has been power flushed you’ll experience:
A more efficient system, meaning lower gas bills
Faster response when your boiler turns on so you have a cosy home within minutes
Hotter and more balanced heat so you have a consistent heat throughout your entire house
You may be thinking of tackling a power flush yourself, which I take my hat off to you, because there are some people out there who are a dab hand at fixing home problems themselves. If that’s you, then you’ll likely need a proper power flushing kit. I highly recommend the Kamco CF40, which is the exact same model we use for domestic power flushing.
However, there are benefits to getting a professional in to do it…
1. They are trained in the use of power flushing kits and may have years of experience to tackle any problems they may encounter during a flush.
2. The cost of a kit is an expensive outlay, whereas a power flush can be a third of the price, saving you money in the long run.
3. Sometimes, it’s just nice to get someone else to do the job rather than wasting hours of your precious time learning and doing it yourself (plus it can be a messy job too).
So, if you want to reduce your gas bills, while preventing a full heating system failure, get a power flush so that you can extend the life of your system and boiler, as well as enjoy a better heated home.
If you’re in the Wiltshire area, you can contact us for a free quote to have your home power flushed . Give yourself the peace of mind knowing that you have a professional making sure your system is working at it’s best.