Five radiator mistakes that could be adding over £100 to your bills – and how to fix them

MILLIONS of households could save over £100 a year by setting a number of radiator mistakes right.

The average annual household bill is set to reach £2,500 from October 1 despite Liz Truss freezing the price cap for two years.

1

That’s over a £500 yearly increase compared to the current price cap, although the £400 energy rebate will go some way to alleviating some of the financial burden.

Still, millions will be looking for ways to cut back on their outgoings as the winter draws in, especially with easy tricks that don’t take up too much time.

So The Sun spoke to Joanna Flower, a service engineer at British Gas, who offered her five top tips for using radiators more effectively – and by employing all of them you could save over £100 a year.

Of course, what you’ll save exactly will depend on how much you use your radiators and how big your home is.

But some of Joanna’s tricks take just minutes and will see you save at least something, so are well worth taking on.

Move your furniture away from radiators

It might be tempting to push sofas, armchairs and other household furniture up against your radiators, but you should avoid this if you want to cut back on your bills.

Joanna said: “While having the sofa against the wall is great for maximising space, if it’s right up against a radiator it can prevent hot air from the radiator circulating properly.

“Your room seems cooler – so you might turn up the heating to compensate.”

The Sun previously spoke to an expert who on top of moving your furniture, suggested two other ways to save money on your bills by making changes in your home.

Turn off radiators if you’re not in the room

If you’re not going to be in a room, it’s pointless to have the heating on in it, Joanna said.

Locking off the cold rooms from the rest of the house will help keep the rest of your property warm as well.

Joanna said: “If you know a room isn’t going to be used then make sure you turn the radiator off and close the door to stop cold air circulating through the rest of the house.

“When you do need to use the room just turn it back on ahead of time to heat it up.”

Think about using a thermostatic radiator valve

The risk you run of turning your heating off in a room though, is that the radiator pipes might burst.

To avoid having to turn them off completely, Joanne said to buy thermostatic radiator valves, which have temperature settings usually ranging from 1 to 5.

Joanna said: “For even more control of individual radiators, think about getting smart thermostatic radiator valves which let you set schedules around your lifestyle.

“For instance, if you are working from home during the day you can only heat the space you are working in or when you go to bed you can ensure you aren’t heating the rooms downstairs.

“The average household can save up to £75 per year with thermostatic radiator valves.”

Thermostatic radiator valves can cost you around £35 per unit though, so they are an investment.

We looked online and found one for £19.95 though at BestHeating.

The same company was also offering a smart wi-fi unit for £59.95.

Fit foil panels

You put reflector panels behind your radiators to bounce infra-red heat rays back into your room.

This, in turn, means less warmth gets lost through the wall.

Joanna said they work well if you have radiators sitting on external walls and in properties with solid walls, which are normally found in homes built before the 1930s.

She added: “The foil panels can be purchased online or at most DIY stores or you do this yourself by covering card with regular tin foil.

“Households can save an average of £25 a year doing this.”

A property expert previously revealed how buying tin foil can carry out a similar job for just 60p.

Bleed your radiators

Joanna said a common problem that makes homes feel cold is air getting trapped in radiators.

By “bleeding” them, you release the air bubbles and the heated water can circulate, meaning a more efficiently-run radiator.

Joanne said: “Remember to check your radiators regularly for cold patches and, if there are any, bleed them.

“If you can’t find the key, most DIY shops sell them for around £1. This will keep them running efficiently.”

We previously revealed a little-known boiler trick that could save you money on your energy bill.

Meanwhile, IT professional Tim Jones shaved £100 of his bill by making a few simple changes to his boiler.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk