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Home Heating Systems - Easy Energy Saving Upgrades  

With soaring global energy prices there has never been a better time to ensure you have the most energy efficient heating system in your home. Replacing or upgrading your existing boiler with a modern high efficiency condensing boiler could save you thousands.

Did you know around 60 per cent of the average household's energy expenditure is on heating and hot water? In the U.S. this equates to around $1,200 - $1,400 a year.

Heating costs depend on 2 elements:

1. energy costs

2. efficiency of your heating system

Unfortunately we cannot control the cost of energy, and, as it is a global commodity its price can vary considerably. Therefore, basically we are at the mercy of the unscrupulous energy companies who continually strive to increase their profits by driving up energy prices to us the consumer.

However, you will be pleased to hear that we do have some control. Fortunately we can choose what type of heating system we run and, often, what type of fuel we wish to burn. (Obviously it is best to go for the system which runs on the cheapest fuel in your area). What the energy companies 'omit' to tell us is that heating systems are continually being improved so that they produce the same amount of heat by burning much lower amounts of fuel.

A new high-efficiency heating system can cut your fuel bills and your central heating system's pollution output by 50 per cent.

By replacing an older style non-condensing boiler with a new high efficiency condensing boiler with full heating controls you could save an incredible $500 - $700 a year. Just think with what you could afford to buy with all that extra money. And, what's more, condensing machinery can be easily fitted to most new and old heating systems - be they furnaces or boilers, gas burning or oil burning.

Is your boiler energy efficient?

Put simply: If it's 10-15 years old then it probably isn't.

What sort of boiler do you have at the moment?

To differentiate between a condensing boiler and a non-condensing boiler the best way is to look at the flue (exhaust) that sticks out from the outdoor wall adjacent to your boiler, and, the type of waste heat it lets out into the atmosphere.

If the flue is made of plastic and lets out visible steam when the boiler is firing, then congratulations, you are likely to have a condensing boiler already. If the flue is made of metal and no steam is visible, you are likely to have a non-condensing boiler. These older boilers let out much hotter gases that are invisible to the naked eye - and would melt a plastic flue.

Are condensing boilers overcomplicated and unreliable?

In a word, no. The main difference is that condensing boilers have a larger heat exchanger and the condensing process requires a means by which the condensed water can be drained away. But this shouldn't cause any problems if the boiler is fitted properly by a registered installer.

Over the longer term by replacing or upgrading your heating system your savings will run into thousands so now is the time to act, particularly as global energy prices continue to sky rocket.

For a complete guide revealing all our secrets and simple techniques to save thousands on your energy bills you can sign up to our Easy Energy Saving Home Study Program at www.easyenergysaving.com