From thermostats to radiators, simple items in everyday homes could costing you more than you think – thankfully a heating specialist is on hand to offer advice and save you money
As we head into autumn, the air is turning colder and many of us have braved turning on our heating for the first time in months.
But one specialist says UK householders are wasting hundreds of pounds each year on energy bills by making a simple mistake. Ryan Willdig, from Heatforce, has five simple tips to save money will keeping homes cosy as temperatures turn colder, highlighting one error above all.
“When it’s cold many of us will boost the thermostat, thinking that it will heat our home faster,” he said. “This isn’t the case and while it won’t heat your home any faster, what it will do is waste energy and therefore waste money.
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“Each degree above 19-20 degrees Celsius can add a whopping 10 per cent to your annual heating costs.” The heating expert has four more mistakes to point out, saying there has been a “lot of misinformation over the years” about how best to heat your home…
Leaving the heating on all day
“There has been a lot of misinformation over the years that leaving the heating on low all day is a lot more cost-efficient than just using it when you need it. In reality, it’s far more efficient and cost-effective to only use the heating when required.
Ensuring that radiators are off in any spare rooms is also key, but ensure that the doors for those rooms remain closed so that the heat isn’t going in there and the cold air isn’t coming out.”
Blocking radiators
“Placing sofas, curtains, or even radiator covers in front of your radiators traps the heat behind them. It’ll force the systems to work that extra bit harder, increasing your bills, straining your boiler and producing heat that isn’t going to go anywhere.
Radiators shouldn’t have anything in front of them and this includes (cosmetic) radiator covers. They need to be completely bare to ensure the heat can travel around the room properly that you want to heat.”
Ignoring boiler servicing
“Nobody likes maintenance and annual boiler services do creep around fast, but they wouldn’t be in place if they weren’t essential. Skipping your annual boiler service means minor issues could go unnoticed, which could reduce its efficiency.
If you’re due one then it’s best to get this booked in September to avoid any serious malfunctions in peak winter when you need your heating the most.”
Neglecting insulation
“Poorly insulated homes, particularly lofts, walls and windows, allow heat to escape quickly. Simple and cheap fixes – such as draught excluders and radiator reflectors can save money in the long-run.
These won’t take long to put in place; you can dedicate an hour or two on a weekend to ensuring all of your windows and walls have the right insulation in place. A small, but noticeable difference when it comes to both how hot your house will get, but also your monthly bills.”
