YOU could be wasting hundreds of pounds every year by making one small mistake in your home.
As much as £300 could be at a loss if you’re not careful about how you use your heating.
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With energy bills climbing and inflation on the rise too, there’s no room for costly mistakes.
Thankfully, we’re here to help.
Nic Auckland, heating expert at Trade Radiators, says letting heat escape through your chimney could throw away up to £300 a year.
That’s if you don’t have something to block the opening whenever you turn on the heating.
He says: “Depending on the chimney and the conditions, your heating cost could increase by up to 30% yearly.
“With bills rising, this could mean an energy cost increase of over £300 in the worst cases.
“You should check to ensure your chimney has a damper and that it is in good condition.”
A damper is a seal for your chimney to ensure cold air stays out and warmth from indoors can’t escape.
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You can install one by yourself if you’re used to carrying out small DIY jobs – you shouldn’t need any tools to help.
It should fit right up into the flue system which sits above the smoke chamber.
Hopefully it’ll slide in comfortably, but there might be a few screws to tighten if your damper comes with them.
But that’s the most you’ll need to do.
We’ve seen dampers from the likes of Amazon for £22, but don’t forget about added delivery costs.
However bear in mind it’ll cost an average of £250 to have someone come in and fit it for you, which could be quite pricey.
Alternatively, there are other routes to take like chimney balloons, which also do the trick.
B&Q or Wickes sell chimney balloons which are similar to dampers but inflate instead.
That does mean you’ll need to pump it up yourself but they usually come with a device to help.
You can also re-use them and they can be inflated for all chimney shapes and sizes.
Both DIY shops sell one for £18.50 but it’s worth checking elsewhere too in case there’s another for cheaper.
Other ways to save on your bill
Regular annual boiler service checks could actually save you up to £550 a year.
That’s because without regular checks your radiators could end up needing a power flush done which cost hundreds to sort.
This gets rid of excess air in the system which would normally cause accelerated corrosion, essentially breaking or damaging your boiler, but you’ll need to hire a professional to do it.
It’s worth noting a lot of boiler cover plans include annual checks alongside any repairs that need to be done, but do call up your provider to check if you’re not sure.
If not, you might need to pay a small fee to have these checks done – a one-off boiler service in the UK costs on average of £80, according to MoneySupermarket.
Also if you have a combi boiler with an eco mode, make sure it’s set to this because it could save you £225 a year.
If it doesn’t have an eco mode, you will need to check the two dials on the boiler.
One controls your central heating, which you can leave, and the other sets your hot water tap temperature. Turn the second dial down to 50C.
Switching off the boiler’s pre-heat setting and turning down the temperature can also help you to lower your energy costs.
