- Lower the temperature by one degree. Each degree lower means roughly 6 % less energy used for heating. The recommended temperature in living areas is 20-21 °C, and 17-18 °C in bedrooms.
- Air rooms briefly and intensively. A window opened wide for 5-10 minutes exchanges the air without cooling the walls and furniture. A window left ajar for hours is the most expensive way to ventilate.
- Do not obstruct radiators. Curtains, furniture or decorative covers in front of a radiator can cut its heat output by a tenth or more.
- Close blinds at night. Lowered blinds and drawn curtains noticeably reduce night-time losses through the glazing during the heating season.
- Bleed the radiators. Air trapped in a radiator stops it heating across its full surface. Bleeding them before the season takes a few minutes.
- Check window and door seals. Worn seals are a common and cheaply fixed source of draughts; replacement costs a few euros per running metre.
- Insulate pipework in unheated spaces. Uninsulated distribution pipes in a cellar or garage give off a significant amount of heat where you do not need it.
- Lower the domestic hot water temperature to about 55 °C - high enough to prevent legionella, low enough to limit losses and limescale build-up.
Together these measures often deliver 5-10 % lower consumption, which is already visible on the annual bill of an average house - without a single euro of investment.