With winter coming is it time to chop your heating bill?

It’s that time of year again, winter is in the air and we’re all reaching for the heating. But for many households heating bills are a serious concern. A recent survey for the BBC confirmed that one in three of us are seriously worried about paying our heating bills. With the cold beginning to bite and some energy companies already announcing price rises, it can feel like there’s not a lot you can do to take control. Maria Wardrobe from National Energy Action suggests that simple, low-cost solutions can be the answer: “People in their homes can’t do anything about global energy prices, what they can do is look at their own energy use. Low cost solutions with fast pay-back periods are really important and have a significant role to play in helping people reduce their energy consumption.” Chop-Cloc is an innovative heating control device designed to cut household energy bills without any compromise on comfort. It is attached to the central heating system (it works with any water based heating system) and programmes the system to cut out for a set number of minutes each hour. Householders can easily reduce their gas bills by an average of 16 per cent, and can save up to 30 per cent. The concept is based on better use of radiant heat. We don't actually get most of our warmth from the air; we get it from the heat that radiates from the objects around us. Carpets, walls, sofas, even other people get 'charged up' with heat energy from the radiators and continue to release that heat even if the heating is switched off (or Chopped) for a period of time. Whilst the heating is off you feel no difference because every object in your house acts like a radiator. You can watch a video on how Chop-Cloc works here. Jane Gould from Edinburgh explains that Chop-Cloc gave her a way to make savings whilst doing her bit for the environment: “It’s been very easy to use; to be honest you forget it’s there. In terms of the savings, I can see how much it’s gone down. Compared to what I usual use it’s about 20% down which is a fantastic saving for me. I’m so happy with it.” You can watch an interview with Jane here. You can find plenty of information about Chop-Cloc at www.chop-cloc.com