Ideas for holiday home owners to reduce heating costs

Last Updated on September 30, 2014 by admin

Two ideas for holiday home owners to reduce heating costs this autumn

With September drawing to a close one of the busiest periods of the year for holiday home owners many may expect this to be a time of reflection; to look back on one of the warmest June and July’s on record, to bask in the glory of increased bookings or to simply have a well earned rest.

The reality is perhaps somewhat different; the increasing year-round bookings, the maintenance and repairs, the planning for 2015.

It all starts now.

The drive to fill the months ahead is becoming increasingly competitive and with the colder autumnal and winter weather, an emphasis is not only required on getting visitors to the holiday home but also on keeping them warm in the most efficient way once they arrive.

Here are two ideas for holiday home owners to reduce heating costs and help you achieve just that.

Is it time for the winter coat!?

Lagging water tanks and pipes, along with insulating behind radiators around your holiday home reduces the amount of heat that can escape, meaning hot water stays hotter for warmer and you spend less money on reheating it.

So where do you really need to be insulating?

Start with the hot water cylinder

As the hub of your water system, insulating the hot water cylinder in your holiday home is one of the quickest and easiest ways to save money.

Many will already be wearing a fitted jacket but it’s worth checking the thickness, which should be in excess of 75mm.  If your water cylinder jacket falls beneath this mark then heat loss can be reduced by up to 75% by purchasing a new, thicker jacket.

It’s estimated that the cost of the jacket will be saved in heating bills within six months!

Do you have radiators? Have you considered reflector panels?

Whilst under-floor heating is becoming more and more popular the majority of holiday homes continue to use radiated heat.  A commonly faced issue with radiators is that they are fixed to walls, which are quite often externally facing.

This means that a large amount of the heat generated by a radiator could be lost through the wall to which it is attached.  This can be further exacerbated in some listed property homes, where modern levels of building regulation insulation aren’t present.

Radiator reflector panels are a low cost and effective way of addressing this issue and reducing the heating costs of your holiday home.  Fixed behind your radiators, they reflect heat from the radiator back into the room, instead of letting it out through an external wall.

They have most benefit when installed on uninsulated walls, which can be internal (between rooms) or external (the outer skin of the holiday home).

The cost of these will be dependent on the supplier and the radiators within your property so it’s worth looking at several options before deciding on the best fit for your holiday home.

For more energy saving and top tips for holiday home owners please do have a read through our blog and let us know if there are any areas you’d like to hear us writing about.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support your holiday home business, please give us a call on 01237 429444.