Central heating
In most homes the central heating system will use the most energy. If your system uses oil, think about joining an oil buying club to take advantage of cheaper prices. Make sure your central heating system is running at its best.
Types of fuel
Coal is the dirtiest of the fossil fuels and produces the most emissions. If you're using coal you could think about moving to a cleaner and more efficient fuel such as natural gas or oil.
You might even want to go a step further and install a renewable source of heating.
Home heating oil
More than two-thirds of Northern Ireland households use oil boilers as their main source of heating. Some are finding it difficult to budget for large one-off bulk deliveries of oil.
Joining the NI Oil Savings Network could help you save money. Find out more on the Northern Ireland Housing Executive website:
The Consumer Council has advice about how to save money on your home heating oil. Find out about oil buying clubs, how to keep your oil safe and how to make your home heating oil last longer.
Upgrade your boiler
If you have an existing gas/oil system remember boilers become less efficient the older they get. If your boiler is more than 15 years old you may want to consider upgrading to a more efficient model.
You should have a fully controlled central heating system with the following features:
- a programmer which allows you to set ‘on’ and ‘off’ times to suit your lifestyle
- a room thermostat which will keep an even temperature in the home - it's recommended you set it to around 21 degrees celsius
- a cylinder thermostat which controls the hot water temperature in the cylinder, set at 60-65 degrees celsius
- thermostatic radiator valves which control the temperature in Individual rooms
- Check your oil tank
Find out more information about looking after your central heating system on the Energy Saving Trust website: