Four tips for reducing your heating costs

1. Find the ideal room temperature

Every degree less saves heating energy and thus costs. Depending on your setup, you can save up to six percent in energy per degree and therefore money. In your living room, temperatures between 19 and 21 degrees are ideal. Bathrooms can be a little warmer, between 21 and 23 degrees. while for bedrooms and the kitchen 16 to 18 degrees is enough. However, things should not be colder than 16 degrees, because then the risk of mold increases.

At night and when no one is home, the temperature can be lowered throughout the home. Tip: Turn down the radiator half an hour or an hour beforehand, as it will continue to heat for a while. Again, this helps save some energy. However, you shouldn't cool down your home or certain rooms completely if you'll only be gone for a short while. Getting things heat up again may consume more energy than maintaining a slightly lower temperature at all times.

2. Insulate and draught-proof your home

Keep doors closed - if the door is closed, hardly any heat escapes from the room. Draft excluders for doors also help keep heat in the room. A rolled-up towel can also be used as a draft excluder.

Shutters, blinds or curtains should be closed after dark (or even during the day when rooms are not in use). This reduces heat escaping through the windows by up to 20 percent. In addition, weatherstripping (you can get the strips from your local hardware store) is a tried and tested means of increasing thermal insulation, especially for poorly insulated windows.