Glow-worm blog

Those hardened Glow-worm fans out there may have already seen the information on our main website about last year’s launch of our Clearly Solar range.

Well, after much demand we have launched a dedicated website on all things solar thermal. This –basically means a solar thermal system which includes a solar panel (or number of panels in some cases) to supply as much as 50-60% of your annual domestic hot water.

The new website can be found at www.glow-wormheating.co.uk/clearlysolar and answers lots of common questions so you can see whether you might be able to get a solar thermal system installed at your property and understand exactly what it might involve.

There is a common misconception that solar thermal needs a hot climate to function properly but actually the system works by collecting diffused sunlight to generate energy to heat your domestic hot water.

Many people also believe that installing solar thermal systems makes their homes more attractive to potential buyers and given that solar products will increase your rating on the Energy Performance Certificate (part of the Home Information Pack), it’s easy to understand why more of us are going for solar thermal systems.

Renewable energy for the home is no longer a thing of the future for those with radical green ideas – it’s accessible and affordable.  What’s more it’ll also help you do your bit for the planet by reducing your carbon footprint and in the long term save you money by reducing your energy consumption.

So if you’re interested in solar thermal as an option for your home, why not take a look at our website or speak to one of the fully trained Clearly Solar installers in your area.

Like most things in life, your boiler benefits from a little TLC every now and again. For instance, did you know your boiler has an optimum water pressure?

Your boiler needs to have a constant water pressure to make sure it works properly and continues to keep your house nice and cosy. It’s important to know that different types of boilers have different ways to keep pressure constant.

For example, if you have an older conventional boiler, your heating system will rely on a water tank which keeps water levels constant by using a ball float device. But if your boiler is quite new and is a combination or standard central heating system, then you need to check your water pressure about once a month to make sure it’s correct.

Checking on the pressure of your hot water system is quick and easy to do. Just take a look at the pressure gauge and make sure the reading is between 1 and 1.5, the perfect pressure range. If it drops below 0.5 or rises above 2.5, the pressure is incorrect and your hot water system won’t work as well as it could – and could even shut out.

If your pressure reading is too low (below 0.5), you need to repressurise the system by topping it up with water via the filling loop. The filling loop looks like a small tap which is connected to the system via a small hose. To add more water into your boiler, simply turn the tap while you watch the gauge to make sure you let in enough water to raise the pressure to the correct level (1-1.5).

There are a few reasons why your boiler may lose pressure, including leaks in your system. If this is the case, you should get the leak repaired as soon as possible to make sure your boiler continues to run efficiently.

Another reason for pressure to drop is when air has been removed after a radiator has been bled. So try and remember next time you bleed your radiators to check the pressure afterwards, just to make sure it has not been affected. 

If there’s anything you’re unsure about when you come to repressurise your boiler, we’d always advise you to speak to an expert.

Visit www.britishgas.co.uk for more tips on how to repressurise and look after your boiler.

As energy prices soar it’s important that we all make savings any way we can.  As well as investing in energy saving light bulbs, more insulation and ‘A’ rated appliances, it may be worth comparing the cost of your current gas or electricity supplier to an alternative source.

The independent watchdog energywatch provides free and impartial advice to help consumers get the best deal possible, vetting price comparison websites to ensure that you get a fair deal when shopping around for energy.

The website has a Confidence Code which strictly monitors price comparison websites – ensuring that consumers get consistently accurate and uniform results.

There are a number of accredited sites which offer an internet price comparison service to find out how much could be saved by switching to a new supplier.

These sites include:
• www.unravelit.com
• www.saveonyourbills.co.uk
• www.energyhelpline.co.uk
• www.uswitch.com
• www.moneysupermarket.com
• www.switchwithwhich.co.uk
• www.simplyswitch.com
• www.theenergyshop.com
• www.themoneyexpert.com/energy
• www.homeadvisoryservice.com
• www.energylinx.co.uk
• www.confused.com
• www.ukpower.co.uk

According to energywatch, switching both gas and electricity suppliers might save you over £100 a year.  There are at least 10 million domestic consumers – almost half of all energy consumers – that have never switched supplier which means there’s over £1 billion worth of savings out there.
That’s a lot of money to be saved!

Have you noticed your radiator hasn’t been working as well as it should?
This could be down to trapped air bubbles in your pipes and can easily be remedied by ‘bleeding’ your radiator or heater.

But don’t worry! It’s not as drastic or gory as it sounds! Bleeding your radiator simply means releasing trapped air from inside the system.

When water is heated and cooled continuously, air bubbles can be created. If air gets stuck inside your radiator coils it stops your heater from emitting the maximum amount of heat into your room, meaning it can cost you more money and waste energy to have your heater on when air is trapped inside.

You should ‘bleed’ your radiator twice a year to make sure it’s as efficient as possible at keeping your home nice and snug. If there’s a big difference in temperature between the top and bottom of your radiator, then it needs bleeding, here’s how to go about it:

o Turn your heating off
o Use your radiator key and insert it into the valve at the top of the radiator and turn it anti clockwise
o Make sure you have a bowl ready to catch any excess water that drips out!
o Turn the key slowly until you hear a hissing sound
o When the water drips out it means that all the trapped air has been released
o Turn the key back to the closed position

Bleeding your radiator can give your heating a whole new lease of life but if your radiator is still underperforming after you’ve followed these simple steps, call a professional to have it checked out.  We’ve a list of installers in your area who maybe able to help, click here to do a postcode search.

For more advice on how to make your central heating system more efficient and bleeding your radiators see the Energy Saving Trust website.

Your children may not like eating their greens but being green and helping to look after the environment is easy and can be good fun too!

Children often learn faster than adults and pick up habits very easily, so why not make sure they’re good ones? By making a few small changes in how you live such as turning lights off when you leave a room and switching your TV, stereo or games console off when it’s not needed, you can help to save energy, lower your bills and save the environment.

Being energy efficient can be fun, and simple tasks like closing the curtains and blinds at night will insulate your windows and help to keep heat inside your house, making it nice and cosy. Looking after the environment can be made more exciting by making being energy efficient into a game for your children! Searching for lights that need turning off and making sure all your appliances are switched off could become a fun game before bed time.

Bath times are great but did you know that showers as they use only 40% of the hot water needed for a bath?* Now that’s what I call a power shower!

It’s not just children that can help us become more aware of our environment. Things like only boiling the amount of water you need in your kettle, setting your washing machine at 40 degrees and using energy saving light bulbs are little things that we can all do around the house to be greener.

Remember, each little change you make helps protect the planet for everyone!

*Source: Energy Saving Trust

The Glow-worm team made their final stop on the Warm Glow Tour at the Meteor Centre in Derby last week. 

Fierce winds blasted through the shopping centre leaving shoppers looking for cover from the cold. 

Our experts were on hand again to provide advice about boilers and answer questions from visitors to the Meteor centre. 

As ever our face painters were also there, transforming many kids into mystical characters – and some familiar faces too! 

Thanks to everyone who has visited the dome over the last five weeks - we hope to hear from you again soon!

 Keep cosy, Warm Glow Tour team at Glow-worm

Glow-worm set up camp in Richmond’s Kew Retail Park this week, meeting more shoppers and providing expert advice and cover from the fierce chilly winds outside.

Once again, our experts were on hand with a range of information about our range of boilers and solar range, supported as always with free face painting at the Glow-worm inflatable dome.

We met record numbers of children, transforming them into a variety of fairytale characters – take a look below, there’s a few you may recognise!

Please get in touch if you spot yourself on the blog – we’d love to hear from you.

Our last date for the Warm Glow Tour is in Derby on Saturday 8 March – please note the venue has now changed to the Meteor Centre.

The Warm Glow Tour travelled south for this week’s event in Portsmouth. 

The weather was certainly a bit nippy but even the threat of rain could not dampen the spirits of the Glow-worm team.

Once again we set up camp in our inflatable dome, this time at the Ocean Retail Park, to meet homeowners from around the region.

Our face painters were also on hand – here is just a selection of the some of the great images from the day:

 The next stop will be Kew Retail Park in Richmond so make sure you’re there to find out about how you can keep your energy bills down by using a greener boiler!

Tour dates:
01 March Kew Retail Park, Richmond
08 March Kingsway Retail Park, Derby

Thought you might be interested to see some more great photos from the Warm Glow Tour in Newcastle…

Did you know that one in two people in the North-East argue about the temperature at home?  Glow-worm decided to do something about it, travelling to Newcastle as the second stage of the Warm Glow Tour.

The inflatable Glow-worm dome set up home in Belvedere Retail Park, providing heating advice for shopper and free face painting for their kids.

Whilst the weather was a bit nippy, Glow-worm staff handed out free ice scrapers for all those cold frosty mornings ahead as well as guidance on how to keep homes warm and cosy.

We’ve taken some more fantastic pictures to compete with those from Warrington.  Here is a selection – can you spot yourself, even with your face fully painted?  Get in touch!

Still to come on the Glow-worm Tour… Portsmouth 23rd February, Richmond Upon Thames 1st March, Derby 8th March.  See you there.