How to save money on heating homes and apartments: gas and electricity

Monthly heating costs sometimes make up a large part of the family budget. Therefore, sooner or later the question arises - how to save on heating homes and apartments: gas and electricity? A number of actions can be taken that will lead to a reduction in energy consumption by 10-30%.

Energy Saving

Heat losses in the house
Heat losses in the house

The principle of the heating system is to compensate for the heat loss of the house. In this case, the temperature in the rooms should remain at a comfortable level of 18-22 ° C. The economical owner first of all does not think about how to save on heating, but seeks to reduce the amount of thermal energy spent on “street heating”.

First you need to calculate the thermal insulation of the external walls, ceiling and floor. Heat transfer resistance should be from 2 to 4.84 m² * C / W, depending on the region. If this indicator is unsatisfactory, it is necessary to perform warming. Thus, it is possible to save from 10 to 40% of the thermal energy generated by the heating system.

Before saving gas when heating a house, it is recommended to check the internal heat loss. Often they are associated with obsolete components - pipes, radiators and the boiler itself. Timely replacement and carrying out preventive work is a prerequisite for emulating the efficiency of the system at the proper level.

Heat transfer resistance for various regions
Heat transfer resistance for various regions

In addition, the following procedures should be performed:

  • Installation of new windows with 2-chamber double-glazed windows;
  • The boiler capacity should not exceed the design system by more than 10%. Otherwise, how to save on heating, if by default the gas or electricity consumption in the boiler is too high?
  • Installation of controls - programmers, temperature controllers, temperature sensors in rooms and on the street.

These are obvious ways to save on heating in an apartment. However, for a comprehensive solution to the problem, you should consider each system individually.

Wall insulation is not only the best way to save on heating in the apartment, but also reduce humidity. It is important not to forget about the ventilation system.

Saving on electric heating

Electric underfloor heating - as one of the ways to reduce energy costs
Electric underfloor heating - as one of the ways to reduce energy costs

As the main source of heat in electric heating, you can use a boiler or autonomous elements - convectors, warm electric floors or infrared heaters. Regardless of their type, they are similar in one thing - for full-fledged work, electric energy is needed.

Energy savings during heating can be achieved in several ways. The determining one is the installation of new models of heating devices. These include boilers and electric underfloor heating. Installation of convectors is currently the most expensive way to maintain the temperature in the house.

Consider the most effective ways to save electricity during heating:

  • Organization of a complete system, including pipelines, radiators, etc. Unlike convectors, the water in the pipes will still be hot for some time even after the boiler is turned off;
  • Installation of two tariff meters. At night, the cost of electricity is much lower. This way you can save on heating, but only if there is no one in the house during the day;
  • Use of storage capacity. She will decide how to save on heating during the day. Water heated at night will circulate through the system during the day. It is important to correctly calculate the required capacity and find a place for its installation;
  • Perform timely descaling of the heating elements and flush the heating system. So you can save on heating in the apartment when using an electric boiler. It is important to pay attention to the heat exchanger - it should not have lime deposits, since they impair the transfer of thermal energy to water.
Example of a dirty boiler heat exchanger
Example of a dirty boiler heat exchanger

Using an integrated approach to solving the problem of saving on heating, you can get good results. Some experts recommend lowering the overall temperature to 16 or even 15 ° C. This is not always acceptable, as it will lead to a decrease in the comfort of staying in a house or apartment.

The average cost of installing two tariff meters is from 4,500 to 8,000 rubles, excluding the cost of the device.

Saving on gas heating

Modulated gas burner
Modulated gas burner

The best saving of gas for heating is the purchase of a modern boiler. Currently, models with a modulated burner and the ability to connect external temperature sensors are considered the best option.

If there is an old gas boiler available, only the burner can be replaced, leaving all other components. But you need to remember that saving gas when heating a house should in no case affect the safety of the equipment. Independent modernization of the boiler can lead to emergency situations. Before saving gas for heating, it is necessary to check the current settings of the boiler. Often increases in consumption are associated with this.

In addition to this obvious decision to reduce gas heating costs, you can use the following methods:

  • Installation of temperature regulators on each radiator. This will lead to significant gas savings when heating a house - up to 20%;
  • Installation of collector wiring. The coolant cooling rate will be lower for individual heating circuits than in a classic two or one pipe system. Savings - up to 18%;
  • Mixing unit. One of the effective ways to save gas on heating underfloor heating.

An important role in reducing costs is played by heat losses through the boiler body. Modern gas models have proper insulation, which can not be said about their predecessors. Therefore, in order to save on heating, check the thermal insulation on the boiler and, if necessary, install an additional layer. Mineral wool can be used for this, since it is not a combustible material.

For hot water in the summer, you can install solar collectors. Thus, it is possible to exclude the operation of a gas boiler in the summer.

However, the best way to resolve the issue of how to really save on heating houses and apartments for gas and electricity is to reduce the heat load on the system in the absence of tenants. To do this, it is necessary to install a special programmer that will start the boiler at full power at the appointed time or after receiving a signal through the GSM module.

In the video material, you can familiarize yourself with the innovative scheme of electric heating:

Heating

Ventilation

Sewerage