Stone walls, high ceilings and draughty sash windows make Edinburgh’s tenement flats wonderful to live in but expensive to heat. Here are practical, proven ways to keep the warmth in and your bills down.
Edinburgh’s tenements are among the most distinctive homes in Britain. Solid stone walls, high ceilings, big sash windows and beautiful period detail make them a joy to live in. They were also built long before anyone worried about energy efficiency, which is why so many residents find their heating bills climbing every winter.
The good news is that you do not need to strip out the character of your flat to make it cheaper to heat. A mix of small habits, sensible upgrades and a well looked after heating system can make a real difference to both comfort and cost.
Understand why tenements lose heat
Traditional stone walls are thick, but they are not insulated in the way modern cavity walls are, so they absorb heat slowly and release it just as slowly. High ceilings mean there is simply more air to warm, and warm air rises well above head height where it does little good.
Original sash and case windows are another common culprit. Even well maintained ones can let cold air seep in around the frames, and in a top floor flat, heat can also escape through an uninsulated roof space. Knowing where the heat goes is the first step to keeping more of it.
Start with the cheap and simple wins
Draught proofing is one of the most cost effective improvements you can make in a period property. Brush strips and seals for sash windows, a good draught excluder for the front door and covers for unused keyholes and letterboxes all help, and none of them harm the character of the flat.
Heavy curtains, closed at dusk, act as an extra layer of insulation over the windows, and a simple chimney balloon in an unused fireplace stops warm air disappearing up the flue. These small measures cost little and start paying for themselves straight away.
Use your heating controls properly
Many households pay more than they need to simply because the heating is not set up well. A room thermostat, thermostatic radiator valves and a timer let you heat the rooms you use, when you use them, rather than blasting the whole flat all day.
Turning your thermostat down by just one degree can trim a noticeable amount off your annual bill without any real loss of comfort. A smart thermostat goes further still, learning your routine and letting you control the heating from your phone so you never pay to warm an empty home.
Look after your radiators and boiler
Radiators that are cold at the top need bleeding to release trapped air, and radiators that are cold at the bottom may have a build up of sludge that stops them working efficiently. Balancing the system so every radiator heats evenly also helps the boiler work less hard.
The boiler itself matters most of all. An annual service keeps it running safely and efficiently, and if your boiler is more than ten or fifteen years old, a modern condensing model could use considerably less gas to produce the same warmth. In a hard to heat tenement, that efficiency gain adds up quickly.
Mind the rules in listed and conservation properties
Much of central Edinburgh sits within conservation areas, and many tenements are listed buildings. That can affect what you are allowed to change, particularly with windows, so options such as discreet secondary glazing are often preferred over full replacement.
If you are planning bigger improvements, it is worth checking with the council before you start. Plenty can still be done in a listed flat, and improvements that respect the building tend to work best for the property in the long run anyway.
A warmer flat without the shock bills
Cutting heating costs in a tenement is about stacking up sensible steps. Seal the draughts, use your controls wisely, keep your radiators healthy and make sure your boiler is serviced and running at its best. Together these changes make a cold, expensive flat noticeably warmer and cheaper to run.
If you would like help getting your heating system into shape, from a boiler service to smart controls or advice on an upgrade, the Letsure team works in tenements and period homes across Edinburgh every day. Book online or give us a call for honest, practical advice.