With parts of the UK already experiencing snow and icy temperatures this winter, people around the country will be wondering how they can keep their energy costs down.
According to experts, one thing you may be doing in your home could be running up your heating bills without you knowing.
While you may be tempted to hide your radiator behind a sofa, this could be detrimental to your bills. Mark Ingram, a technical gas and plumbing expert at Engineering Real Results, says doing so can actually “block heat and reduce the radiator’s efficiency.”
The same applies to curtains if you have a radiator underneath a window. If you have long curtains you should consider “how much heat is likely to get lost behind them when you draw them for the evening”, Ingram says.
Therefore, shorter curtains may be better, as they will ensure no heat is trapped behind them when they are drawn closed.
The National Grid also suggests fitting radiator reflector panels to help reflect heat into the room.
Where you place your thermostat is also something you should take into consideration. Ingram suggests putting it in your most used room as this will usually be the warmest.
“If you place it in a cold spare room or a hallway, this will mean it measures a lower temperature and will tell your boiler to work harder to heat your home unnecessarily, thus pushing energy bills up,” he explains.
You should place it away from any artificial sources of heat like radiators and fireplaces, or cold air sources like draughts from the front door. It should be placed about 5ft high to give the most accurate reading.
Another way to ensure your house is energy efficient is by bleeding your radiators. Adam Clark, founder of My Local Toolbox, says that if your radiators aren’t heating up properly, it may be that they have trapped air. Bleeding them means they “work efficiently and evenly distribute the heat”.
Clark also advises heating only the rooms you’re using. For example, if you have rooms in your house that you don’t use daily, turn off the radiators in those spaces to reduce your heating costs.
You could save as much as 10% on your heating bills by lowering your thermostat by 1°C, according to Clark. While electric heaters may be good for heating small spaces, they are generally more expensive than gas-powered central heating systems.
The National Grid says draught-proofing your windows and doors and blocking cracks in floors and skirting boards could save you about £80 a year on heating bills.
