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During the cold months, ensuring your home heating system runs efficiently is key to staying warm and comfortable and keeping energy bills under control. An inefficient home heating system not only increases your comfort but can also increase your energy costs. This complete winter home heating guide from Grant will help you understand how different heating systems operate and how to prepare your heating system for reliable, efficient performance all season long. 1. Assess Your Current Home Heating System Efficiency At the heart of your home heating system is the main heat source, whether that’s a boiler or a renewable heating solution like a heat pump. Having a high-efficiency heat source can have a significant impact on your energy bills and your home’s overall warmth and comfort. How to check heating efficiency: Ensure your home maintains consistent warmth in every room, as uneven temperatures can indicate inefficiency. Review your energy bills and compare them to what is typical for your home size and local climate; higher than expected costs may point to performance issues. Book an annual heating service, ideally in autumn, to keep your boiler or air source heat pump running safely and efficiently throughout the winter. 2. Optimise Smart Controls Smart heating controls play an important role in improving home comfort and energy efficiency. This is because they allow you to tailor heating schedules, manage energy use intelligently and reduce waste, which helps your heating system to run more efficiently all year round. Smarter Heating with Grant Grant smart controls can operate as stand-alone thermostats or as part of an app-controlled heating system. They also integrate seamlessly with the Grant Uflex underfloor heating system and Grant Afinia radiators to give homeowners complete flexibility when managing their home’s heat distribution. The Grant Aerona Smart Controller is specifically designed to work along with the Grant Aerona R290 air source heat pump , offering a user-friendly interface that makes managing your home heating straightforward. With Grant smart heating controls, you can: Control your heating and hot water schedules directly from an app or thermostat. Adjust room temperatures for different zones throughout your home. Maximise comfort whilst minimising energy consumption and costs. 3. Manage Indoor Temperatures In winter, maintaining the right indoor temperatures can increase the comfort of your home, as well as it’s efficiency. For bedrooms, the recommended temperature is around 18°C. For living areas, like your living room, kitchen, and dining room, are usually best kept at around 20°C. By tailoring temperatures to each space, you create a home that’s both snug and energy efficient. Small adjustments like these can make a huge difference over the winter months, keeping you warm and comfortable without any unnecessary waste. Remember, you should only increase your heating temperature by a degree every 24 hours. 4. Bleed Your Radiators for Better Heat Distribution When it comes to getting the most out of your home heating system, ensure your heat emitters, for example, radiators, are running effectively. Trapped air prevents radiators from heating properly, creating cold spots, and reducing performance. Bleeding your radiators releases the trapped air, therefore allowing hot water to circulate easily throughout the system. How to bleed a radiator Turn off your heating system. Use a radiator key (or a flat-headed screwdriver) to slowly open the bleed valve. When you hear air hissing out, wait until water starts to flow, then close the valve. Check the system pressure afterwards and top it up if needed. Bleed your radiators every few months, especially after a long period without use, such as over summer. 5. Insulate Your Home & Seal up Draughts Good insulation and draught-proofing are essential for maintaining warmth, comfort and energy efficiency. This is because heat naturally escapes through walls, doors, attics, and windows, so insulating these areas can make a huge difference in helping to keep your home warm. Key Insulation Tips Attic insulation - prevents heat loss through the roof. Wall and floor insulation – keeps warmth inside longer. Seal gaps around windows, doors and vents. Add draught excluders to doors, especially around letterboxes and keyholes By improving your home’s insulation, your heating system won’t have to work as hard, thereby helping to reduce energy use and heating costs. 6. Consider Upgrading Your Heating System If your current heating system struggles to maintain consistent warmth, even after servicing, it may be time to consider an upgrade. Future-proof home heating from Grant Grant offers a range of innovative, highly efficient heating solutions to suit every home. The Grant Aerona R290 air source heat pump – highly efficient, renewable and environmentally kinder. Grant Vortex oil & HVO biofuel-ready boilers – ideal for those upgrading from traditional oil systems to a more sustainable option. Both of these award-winning heating technologies deliver reliable performance, helping homeowners reduce their carbon footprint while maintaining comfort all year round. 7. Schedule a Pre-Winter Heating Service Before the cold weather sets in, schedule a heating service with your local plumber or installer who will be able to: Check efficiency levels Clean filters and components Identify and fix any potential issues early This proactive step will ensure your home stays warm and comfortable, and your heating system performs at optimum efficiency all winter long. Keeping your home comfortable through the winter months doesn’t have to mean higher energy bills. With regular maintenance, effective insulation, smart heating controls, and innovative, highly efficient heating technology from Grant, you can enjoy warmer, more efficient home all winter long. Visit www.grantni.com for more information on Grant’s range of innovative heating solutions. Follow Grant on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn. You can also follow Grant on YouTube.
