Energy advice to help you take action for climate

If you’re not sure on how to make your home more energy efficient, Luke - one of our smart meter installers - shares energy saving advice to help lower your energy use and spend.

Luke at E.ON

07/12/22

There’s plenty of ways you can make your home smarter and more sustainable, from smart meters to solar panels. At E.ON, we’re committed to helping you take action for climate with a range of smart energy saving solutions.

When you choose to get a smart meter installed with E.ON Next, our smart meter technicians share energy saving advice after your installation. And we’ve spoken to Luke, one of our smart meter installers, to share some of these top tips.

Change your boiler’s flow rate

If you have a condensing combi boiler or a system boiler, you could save money on your energy bills by adjusting the boiler flow temperature.

The boiler flow temperature is the temperature your boiler heats the water to before it’s sent to the radiators around your home. The flow temperature is not the same as your thermostat temperature and so is often overlooked when setting the temperature of your home - but it could help reduce your gas bills by 6-8%¹, without compromising on a warm and cosy home.

Check out this video from Worcester Bosch for guidance on how to adjust your boiler’s flow rate.

Set your radiators’ thermostatic valves

By setting the temperature on your individual radiators, you can ensure that you’re not using more energy than you need to when heating your home. For example, you likely don’t need your kitchen room temperature, where you’ll get additional heat from cooking, to be set as high as your living room.

And turn down the temperature on your radiator’s thermostatic valves in any rooms you’re not using, there’s no need to heat empty rooms to the same temperature as those you spend time in.

If you don’t have thermostatic valves on your radiators, you can usually control the temperature using a room thermostat or on your boiler itself.

Make the most of your heating with timer settings

It’s more efficient to choose set times of the day for your heating and hot water to come on when it’s needed, rather than to leave it running all day and night. It could even help save you money on your heating bills.

When setting your timer, programme your heating to come on for one to two hours at a time to take the chill out of your rooms. If you find yourself cold outside of your programmed times, switch to constant as you need it, but don’t forget to turn it off again once you’re comfortable with the temperature of your rooms.

And if you’re planning on going on holiday, make sure you adjust your timer so that your heating and hot water doesn’t run unnecessarily. Set your boiler to eco-mode, if you have one, you’ll save energy and money on your heating bills, but you’ll also have hot water ready for a relaxing bath or a quick shower once you arrive back home.

And if you’re going away on a winter break, keep your boiler on a low temperature, or eco mode, to protect your pipes from freezing and bursting.

Check out available grants

We’re also committed to taking action for climate by helping people access grants for energy saving solutions.

We can help you access a range of government grants and funding schemes that will give you the funds to improve your home in ways that could reduce your energy bills, cut your carbon emissions and help make your home warm and cosy.

We’re working with local authorities across England to help install sustainable home improvements such as insulation, air source heat pumps and solar panels for those who are eligible. We can check your eligibility, apply for grants and even complete the final installation. Find out more about the green homes funding schemes here.

And if you're struggling to pay your energy bills and need extra support, then get in touch as there are ways we can help, such as the Warm Home Discount scheme or through our E.ON Next Energy Fund.

Want more sustainable tips to help you take action for climate? Read one of our other blogs:

^{1. The Heating Hub: Save up to 8% on your gas bills, by turning down the 'flow' temperature}