Heating your home

Heating homes accounts for around one third of Salford’s carbon emissions, and heating and hot water make up more than half of a typical household's energy bill.

Making some changes to the way you heat your home won’t only reduce your carbon footprint, it will also help reduce your energy bills. There’s lots of things you can do from quick and easy adjustments through to changing your heating system when you’re ready for a new boiler:

• Don’t obstruct radiators. If you have a sofa or bed right next to a radiator, move it away and you’ll see the room will warm up faster.
• Leave your oven door open once you’ve used it to help keep your kitchen warm.
• Close the curtains when it’s dark or when you’re out of the house to keep in the heat. Better still, buy some thermal curtains.
• Use smart heating controls – put timers on so you only heat the room when you need to and control the setting so you’re not overheating the room.
• Put thermostats on radiators and turn off the radiators in rooms you’re not using.
• Bleed your radiators if they aren’t getting hot at the top. You need to release the trapped air which is stopping the water from rising.
• Insulate your loft to reduce heat loss. If your house was built between 1920 and 1990 you may also benefit from insulating your cavity walls to keep your home warmer.
• If you’re looking to replace your boiler, it may be worth considering installing heat pumps to heat your home.

There are a number of different grants and schemes you may be eligible for to help with the costs through the Warm Salford Campaign.

If you’re not able to receive the grants, you may still consider green options for your home. There’s lots of ideas and support available through the Carbon Co-op website.