Are you worried about the cost of heating your apartment in your flat? Fortunately, you don’t have to give up thermal comfort to pay less. Not everyone knows that with some effective ways, you can save on heating. Find out that your bills can be lower. All you need to do is familiarize yourself with the following methods and put them into practice. Your wallet will certainly thank you for it.
Central heating in a building block is a system of interconnected pipes that run directly to radiators in each unit. They distribute hot water drawn from a tank. Most often in multi-family housing, the tank is shared and located in a specially designated utility room. The water in it can be heated by gas or electricity, as well as by a boiler, for example, for pellets or eco-pea coal.
Some blocks are connected to the municipal grid. In this case, heat is supplied directly from the CHP plant. Very often this way of heating is the most economical. The monthly fees include an advance payment for heating, and any surcharges depend on the specific heat consumption of the apartment.
This heat source is undoubtedly very convenient, but it also comes with some inconveniences. The biggest of these is limited availability. Typically, new multi-apartment buildings built on the outskirts of cities cannot be connected to the municipal network, and it is necessary to use another heat source. The second problem is the inability to set the heating season independently. This means that outside it is impossible to heat the apartment, for example, when the temperature outside drops sharply. This is because the heat is delivered according to an arranged schedule.
It is also very popular to heat blocks with gas. In this case, hot water is not supplied to individual units, but natural gas. It is stored in a special boiler, which starts up when the user wants to use hot water or turn on the heating. This is a convenient solution that allows you to decide for yourself whether to start or end the heating season.
The apartment can also be heated electrically. Most often, this type of installation is used as an additional heat source. Users who want to heat their apartment with electricity can choose to purchase special heaters or heating mats, which are placed under the floor. However, it should be borne in mind that this generates high costs.
If you already know what kind of heating in a block of flats is most common, then you also need to find out how to save on your bills. Below you will find a handful of practical tips that will help you reduce your expenses a bit. Find out how to save on heating in a block of flats and at the same time ensure adequate thermal comfort for all household members.
1. Take care of the optimal room temperature
First of all, you need to determine what temperature should be in each room to be beneficial to your health and overall well-being. In the living room or dining room, it’s a good idea to keep it at 20-22°C. In the bedroom, it should be 16-18°C, as these are the best conditions for a good night’s sleep. In the bathroom, it should not be lower than 22°C to ensure comfort while bathing.
Special controllers that can be used, for example, together with underfloor heating, will help in controlling the temperature level. They are available in the offer of ENGO Controls. They allow convenient and precise control of heat reaching individual rooms. Thanks to them, the optimal temperature will always prevail inside them, which will reduce unnecessary heat consumption. It’s also worth knowing that lowering the temperature even by 1 degree can reduce heat demand by about 5-7% per year. If you do this in several rooms, you will certainly notice the results in the form of lower heating bills.
2. Prepare radiators for the heating season
Radiators distribute heat around the apartment, so they need to be placed in the right place and systematically maintained. First of all, make sure that the radiator is not obscured by anything. Wondering how to position the radiator in the apartment to work efficiently? It must be in such a place that there is no large furniture or other obstacles near it. Also, do not cover the radiator with curtains or enclosures. All this would make it impossible for the heat to spread optimally through the room. You should also remember to systematically wipe the dust from them.
Very often the problem in the distribution of heat around the apartment is a vented radiator. In such a case, the radiator:
– is cold at the top and hot at the bottom,
– emits noises and other characteristic sounds.
Then its venting should be carried out. Most radiators are equipped with manual vent valves. To use them, you should, in turn:
– set a bowl or container under the radiator, into which the water will drain,
– gently and slowly unscrew the valve in such a way that the water flows slowly,
– the moment the sound of air coming out of the system subsides, you need to turn off the valve.
In this simple and quick way, you will remove excess air from the radiator, so it will again work efficiently and effectively.
3. Appreciate natural sunlight
On sunny days, take advantage of the potential of natural light. Open the windows so the rays can stream into the rooms and warm them. When the sun shines intensely, you can also turn the heating down a bit. This will save a little without sacrificing thermal comfort. On the other hand, cover the windows in the evening to reduce heat loss this way.
Taking into account the sunlight, it is also a good idea to properly plan the layout of the various rooms in the apartment even before buying it. On the south side, which is the sunniest, it is worth organizing the kitchen and living room, which are the rooms where you spend the most time every day. On the other hand, from the north and west, it is worth planning a bedroom or bathroom. This will not only reheat the rooms naturally but also provide access to light. As a result, you will not need to light these interiors artificially.
4. Make sure doors and windows are airtight
It is through doors and windows that most heat escapes. While in new apartments investors rely on high-quality woodwork, the problem usually arises in older buildings. Most often it is worn seals that cease to perform their function. In this case, it is necessary to replace them with new ones. You can check for yourself where the biggest drafts occur. A good way to save on heating by sealing your windows is to enlist the help of a specialist with a thermal imaging camera. He will take accurate measurements that will identify the most problematic areas.
5. Install radiator mats
You can effectively increase the efficiency of your apartment’s central heating by using special mats that are placed on the walls directly behind radiators. They reflect the heat and direct it towards the rooms, which prevents it from penetrating deep into the walls. Such mats are not expensive and can bring great results and save a little on heating.
6. Reasonably ventilate the rooms
Ventilating the rooms is very important, as proper air circulation has a positive effect on the well-being of the household members and maintains optimal humidity levels. This should also be done in winter while observing several rules so that cold air coming in from outside does not generate additional heating costs.
First of all, remember to ventilate the interiors intensively, but briefly. Before you open the windows, turn off the radiators and wait a few minutes. Open the window sashes wide open and leave them in this position for a few or several minutes, depending on weather conditions. After closing them, turn the radiators back on. By doing so, you will ensure air circulation while not overcooling the rooms. Thanks to the heat accumulated in the floor, ceiling, and furniture, the temperature will quickly return to optimal levels.
7. Take care of common parts in the building
All residents of multi-family blocks should make sure that stairwells or basements have windows closed in autumn and winter. In this way, excessive cooling of the building can be avoided. Keep in mind that the cost of heating common areas is included in administrative fees. If you want to save on your bills, be sure to keep your windows closed and make other residents of the block aware of this.
The cost of heating an apartment in a multi-family apartment block depends primarily on the rates charged by the housing community or cooperative. Find out how much the residents of neighboring blocks pay for heat to determine whether these prices can be negotiated. This is because it may turn out that the administration is not soliciting from the supplier a reduction in rates. This, of course, applies to blocks connected to the city’s district heating network. It is worth raising this topic at a meeting of the housing community.
For buildings that are equipped with central heating, you should think about replacing the heat source, if its main component is a boiler, such as a wood or coal one. In this case, the installation of modern heating equipment will bring the expected results. Residents can also seek to have their block thermo-modernized in the form of performing insulation. Well-made insulation of the walls and roof can reduce the demand for heat by up to 40%. This in turn will translate into lower bills for all residents
At the beginning of 2023, the Parliament adopted an amendment to the Law on Special Solutions for Certain Heat Sources. This was a result of the difficult situation in the fuel market. Such measures are intended to prevent very high increases in heating. What does this mean in practice? The maximum prices for heat supply will be based on the September 2022 rates. They may increase by a maximum of 40%. For consumers, this means that the increase will not exceed this limit and they can estimate the maximum amount of their bills.
Residents of multi-family blocks of apartments can also take advantage of the “Warmer Apartment 2023” program. Its main purpose is to subsidize the thermal modernization of buildings by replacing the heat source or window frames. The beneficiaries of this program are:
– private individuals,
– tenants of apartments that are owned by the municipality,
– small housing communities (with 3-7 units),
– owners of apartments in blocks of apartments, who are entitled to them from a limited property right.
Funds received under this program can be used mainly for the installation of a new heat source, which can be a pellet boiler, condensing gas boiler, or heat pump. The subsidy also provides for the possibility of hooking up a specific unit to a common heating system, as well as the installation of a new central heating and hot water system. The money can also cover the replacement of doors and windows. The second edition of this program started on September 29, 2023. The amount of the subsidy depends primarily on the income and pollution levels of the municipalities where the multi-apartment buildings are located.
If you live in a block of flats and want to slightly reduce the costs associated with heating the premises, then use the methods mentioned above. They will allow you to increase the efficiency of the installation and improve the thermal comfort of your home without incurring higher costs. Most of them do not require a financial outlay, so it is worth implementing them into your daily life.