Author: EDGEcreative

Reducing your energy usage, and as a result your carbon footprint, should be a thought on everyone’s mind in the current climate. Not only does it help to save the environment, but it also helps save you money.

You might be wondering how you can most effectively reduce your carbon footprint at home, especially if you’re already quite energy conscious, so here are some tips to help get you started!

1. Turn off Electronics in Standby Mode

Televisions, computer monitors, kitchen appliances, and more often enter a standby mode when they aren’t currently being used. While this drastically reduces energy consumption, it doesn’t cut if off entirely, which can total a significant amount of energy usage come the end of the year.

Consider unplugging or switching off any devices that have a standby mode at the wall to help reduce your total energy usage over the course of the year!

2. Ensure Your Bulbs are Energy Saving or LED

You might not have thought twice about the lighting fixtures within your home, but you may be burning far more electricity than you need to just to light it. Older, halogen bulbs are far less energy efficient than modern LEDs and other energy saving alternatives.

By replacing these bulbs now, you could save a significantly amount of energy and money come the winter when evening comes much earlier.

3. Compost Your Food Waste in the Garden

While not directly saving you energy, a compost heap in your garden could greatly reduce your carbon footprint by preventing food waste from ending up in landfill and by removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere directly.

If you’re a keen gardener already, the compost you create will also provide several benefits for plant growth, including additional nutrients, discouraging disease, and balancing soil.

4. Look to More Efficiently Insulate Your Home

One of the more expensive but most effective ways reduce energy usage is to ensure the efficient insulation of your home. Installing double, or even triple glazed windows along with insulation material in your loft or extensions will help prevent the amount of heat you lose during the cold winter months.

Checking for broken seals in your doorways and opening windows can also help prevent airflow and cool breezes entering your property in the winter too. By stopping cold air from entering, and warm air leaving, you will be able to keep your boiler and central heating system on a lower temperature throughout the colder months.

This will help save gas or electricity, depending on the type of boiler you have, and reduce overall costs and your carbon footprint.

5. Ensure Your Boiler is Regularly Serviced

To keep your boiler operating at peak efficiency, which is the best way to guarantee you aren’t wasting energy unnecessarily, you should ensure that it is regularly serviced.

You should also consider regularly checking whether your central heating needs to be powerflushed, which will remove impurities and solid materials in your radiators to improve heating efficiency.

Ensuring that you have boiler and heating cover that includes regular engineer visits is key to keeping your boiler operating at maximum efficiency.

6. Upgrade to a New Boiler if You Notice Issues

Newer boilers are far more efficient than older models because the technology within them has improved drastically over the years. The average lifespan of a boiler is between 10 – 15 years, meaning that if your boiler is coming to the end of its lifespan, it would be cost efficient (and safer) to get a new one.

Older boilers are far more likely to suffer from an issue that could result in a boiler emergency and breakdown than newer ones, which could end up being more expensive over a few years of engineer callouts.

Plus, older boilers are more susceptible to carbon monoxide leaks, which could be a danger to you and your family.

7. Get in Touch With Butco

Butco are the go-to specialists in the West Midlands for new boiler installations, 24 hour boiler repair, powerflushing services, and more to ensure that your heating is operating as efficiently as possible.

We provide emergency callouts, new boiler installation, consultation, and more to ensure that our clients are as carbon- and cost-efficient as possible.

Send an email to info@butco.com or call the office on 0333 0366 1121 to get started.

Boiler efficiency is a crucial consideration for most households, especially when the temperature is barely above freezing in the cold winter months.

That’s why it is vital to ensure your boiler is running efficiently and effectively long before this time, and why summer is the best time to organise a replacement.

Read on to discover various aspects of boiler care and new boiler installation, and to find out why summer may be the best time to prepare for the winter with a new boiler.

When Should I Consider Replacing My Boiler?

At Butco, we recommend that you replace your boiler every 10 to 15 years even if it’s still working.

That’s because the efficiency of your boiler will reduce over time, increasing your heating bills as a result. Plus, as boilers age, finding replacement parts becomes increasingly challenging, making it more expensive to repair should something go wrong.

High boiler efficiency levels are essential for maintaining low energy bills and reducing the environmental impact of your household. Modern condensing boilers can achieve an efficiency level of at least 92%, meaning that for (roughly) every £1 spent on heating your home, only 8p is wasted.

In comparison, older boilers may be operating at around 70% efficiency, which will cost you much more in the long run.

Also, if your boiler has suffered multiple recent issues or your gas engineer has suggested it as part of a routine visit, it is worth considering getting a replacement.

If you have the choice, it is usually best to consider getting a replacement boiler in summer!

Why is Summer the Best Time to Replace Your Boiler?

There are two main reasons why you should replace your boiler in summer rather than in winter. The first is that it will cause reduced disruption to you and your schedule, and the second is that gas engineers tend to have quieter schedules.

Replacing your boiler means going without heating for a short period of time, which is far from ideal in the harsh conditions of the West Midlands winter. By organising your new boiler installation in the summer months, you can minimize disruption to your daily life and rely on natural heat to stay warm.

Our gas engineers also tend to have busy schedules during the winter, as we will be dealing with boiler breakdowns, frozen pipes, and regular boiler care plan appointments. In summer, however, our schedules are less hectic, making it easier to book an appointment at a convenient time for you.

Benefits of Replacing Your Boiler in the Summer

Planning your new boiler installation during the summer means you don’t have to worry about heating your home immediately, giving you time to research different boiler types and brands.

It can be hard to pick the right boiler for you and your property, but don’t worry – you can find out all you need to know about different types of boilers and even receive a free estimate on our website!

Plus, a summer boiler replacement significantly reduces the risk of a boiler breakdown when it is freezing cold. This means you won’t have to call for emergency repairs during winter, keeping you warm and saving you money.

Lastly, a new boiler will be more efficient year-round, keeping your heating bills to a minimum during the winter. This is especially useful now given the cost-of-living crisis and rising gas prices, meaning that a new boiler could help you save significantly in the long run.

Read: Discover more ways to keep your heating bills to a minimum this winter!

Boiler Installation Costs

While the cost of a new boiler and its installation may seem expensive, it will pay itself back in energy savings in only a few years. Plus, it’s better to replace one ahead of time than potentially pay for an emergency callout and attempted repair fees on top of a new boiler.

Also, a more efficient boiler also means a reduced impact on the environment, significantly reducing household carbon emissions, something that is worth paying a little bit more for.

The total cost of a new boiler will probably fall somewhere around £2,550, though it can vary massively depending on where you want your boiler to go, the type of boiler you already have, the existing pipework at your property, and more.

To maintain boiler efficiency and reduce the risk of needing a new boiler, we recommend securing a boiler care and maintenance plan. We offer three different tiers of care plans to help all aspects of your heating, from a regular annual service right up to internal plumbing and drain care.

Contact Butco for Expert Help With Your Boiler Replacement

Summer is the ideal time to replace your boiler to ensure optimal boiler efficiency for the winter, and our gas engineers will gladly help you through the process, with emergency boiler service support and boiler maintenance plans available to support you.

No matter which type of boiler you are looking to install, or if you’d like to discuss your options with our qualified staff, get in touch. Drop an email to info@butco.com or call the office on 0333 366 1121 for our recommendations!

A recent phenomenon in the home heating industry is the development of ‘smart’ controls, which allow you to control the temperature of your home, and set specific parameters for your heating, all from your mobile devices.

This means that, even when nobody is home, you have full control over your central heating system.

But how is this technology useful and can it help reduce energy prices in the cost-of-living crisis? Read on to find out!

Smart Products are Designed to Help You

The idea of smart technology has always been to push the boundaries of modern technology to help improve the standards of day-to-day life.

Smart heating controls are no different, allowing you to monitor and adapt the temperature of your home from your mobile devices, no matter where you are. They also let you more easily control the individual temperatures of your radiators for each room at different times.

What this means is that you can set an adaptable schedule for your heating system to operate by according to your needs, minimising energy usage when you’re not at home. It also means that you can manually and remotely change these times when plans change, providing you have a compatible mobile device to hand.

Imagine that, in the middle of winter, you are expecting to arrive home much earlier than usual. Older, traditional heating control systems would have to be adjusted manually once you arrive home, meaning that you will have to wait in a cold house for the heating to kick in.

With smart heating controls, you can adjust your heating as soon as you realise you will be home early, meaning you can prepare your house to be warm upon arrival.

Smart Controls Can Help You Save Money

Perhaps more importantly, given the current cost-of-living crisis, smart heating controls can help save money on rising household bills. With careful management, you can ensure that your heating is only on in the rooms it’s needed, and only when you’re at home.

This way, you can maintain a comfortable temperature in the rooms you use most, only at the times you use them, which will help lessen your overall energy usage. You can also choose specific times to heat your water if you tend to bathe or shower at the same time most days.

Depending on your usage and the size of your home, smart heating controls can reduce your household energy bills by up to 25%. 

In some cases, smart heating controls will even adjust the temperature of your heating system automatically based on the weather in the local area.

Butco Can Install and Maintain Smart Heating Systems

As part of our home electrical cover and inspection services, Butco will install and manage your smart heating systems. We’ll even show you how to operate your new smart controls to ensure you are getting the most out of them.

Plus, with our heating and boiler cover plans, we’ll be there to help you that one step further. Our 24/7 boiler care plans mean that our dedicated customer service team are always on hand to help if something goes wrong, be it with your heating or controls themselves.

We will be there to organise a central heating service as soon as possible, ensuring you are never without your boiler for long.

Get In Touch

Based in Birmingham but servicing the whole of the West Midlands, Butco are the go-to experts for all your heating and electrical needs. Our engineers are experts in their field, and we are proud to offer one of the fastest response times on the market.

To find out more about our smart heating controls and installation, boiler and heating cover, or electrical services, get in touch with us today! Email info@butco.com or call the office on 0333 366 1121 to speak with an expert.

The future of transportation is electric. With the increasing demand for eco-friendly and sustainable transportation options, electric cars are becoming more popular.

But for electric cars to become a mainstream choice, we need a reliable and convenient charging infrastructure, which is where home charging ports come in.

Buckle up and read on to find why home charging ports are so important and how Butco can help install one for you!

Home Charging Ports are Vital for EV Infrastructure

Electric vehicles are eco-friendly, quiet, and offer a smooth driving experience, but they require a complex and thorough network of charging ports to operate effectively – an infrastructural element that has only recently been taken into consideration.

While electric vehicle charging stations can be found in communal spaces, like large workplaces or supermarket carparks, the crucial element of the infrastructure is home charging. This ensures that EV owners can go about their day-to-day activities without any issues.

Not only this, but home electric vehicle charging ports are key to ensuring that EVs are a cost-effective solution to traditional cars. Generally, EVs are cheaper to charge than a petrol car is to fuel up, and the difference is only likely to increase as petrol becomes scarcer.

You Will Need to Pick the Right Charging Port

There are several different types of charging ports available for electric cars. The most common types for homeowners are Level 1 and Level 2 charging ports.

Level 1 charging ports are the most basic type of EV charger and are typically used for home charging. These charging ports can be plugged into a standard household outlet and can take up to 24 hours to fully charge an electric car.

Level 2 charging ports are more advanced and can have a charging time as little as just a few hours. These charging ports are specially installed at home or in public areas such as car parks and shopping centres.

The most advanced type of electric vehicle charging station is a DC fast charger, which can charge an electric car in as little as 30 minutes. However, these charging ports are typically installed at motorway service stations and cannot be installed at home due to national grid requirements.

Our specialist engineers are experts at sourcing and installing both level 1 and 2 charging ports depending on the needs of our clients and their vehicles.

The Benefits of a Home Charging Station

Charging ports offer several benefits over traditional petrol cars. One of the most significant benefits, as already touched on in this article, is the cost savings. Electric vehicles are significantly cheaper to operate than traditional cars the cost of charging an EV is cheaper than fuelling a car with petrol.

Additionally, electric cars require less maintenance than traditional cars due to the fact that they have fewer moving parts.

Charging ports also offer greater convenience. With home charging stations, electric car owners can charge their vehicles overnight, which means they can wake up to a fully charged car in the morning. This eliminates the need to visit a petrol station, saving a significant amount of time.

This is especially crucial for EV owners in rural areas, who may have to drive up to an hour to find their nearest communal EV charging station.

As this technology becomes more widely adopted, however, the infrastructure to support EVs in rural areas will become more common.

Advancements in Charging Port Technology

Significant investments are being made in charging port technology which ultimately helps to make electric cars more convenient and affordable. One of the most significant advancements currently being trialled in the UK is wireless EV charging.

Wireless charging uses magnetic induction to charge an electric car without the need for cables or plugs. This technology is still in the early stages of development, but it has the potential to revolutionise the way we charge our electric cars and could be introduced in UK homes soon.

Another advancement in charging port technology is the development of bidirectional charging. Bidirectional charging allows electric cars to not only charge from the national grid but to also provide power to your home or straight back to the grid.

This technology has the potential to create a more sustainable energy system by allowing electric cars to act as mobile power sources. While the full extent of this technology is yet to be seen; it certainly has the potential to revolutionise the way we view battery electric vehicles.

Potential Challenges With the Adoption of Charging Ports

Despite the many benefits of charging ports, there a few obstacles to be aware of.

One of the biggest challenges is the cost of installation. Installing charging ports can be expensive, and many electric car owners may not be able to afford the cost of installation on top of the purchase costs of their car.

Another challenge is the lack of standardisation. There are several types of charging ports available, and this can be confusing for electric car owners. Without standardisation, it can be challenging to ensure compatibility between charging ports and electric cars.

At Butco, our experts will talk you through your available options and figure out which type of charger would best suit your needs. We also ensure that you receive a cost-effective and efficient service, saving you as much money as possible throughout the installation process.

Get in touch

If you’d like to talk through your EV charging station options with a qualified professional, or if you have any other gas and electric needs, reach out to our office today.

We offer our services across the west midlands from our headquarters in Birmingham. To find out what we could do for you, send an email to info@butco.com or call the office on 0333 366 1121.