SUMMER is well behind us and the longer winter nights are drawing in.
It means households up and down the country will be starting to turn their heating back on.
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But heating can see your energy bills rack up, especially if you leave it on overnight.
And even with the government’s announcement millions of households will see their energy bills frozen for two years, the average family is still expected to pay £2,500 a year from October.
That’s more than £500 than the current average, which is £1,971.
Here we break down three ways to save money on your heating bill before you turn it back on.
Check your radiator
Radiator specialist BestHeating has previously advised households to check their radiators if they’re only just switching them back on after the warm weather.
In general, it’s best to regularly flick your heating on every few months as if you don’t your boiler can fail.
Another tip is to switch your thermostatic valves up if they have been set to off over the summer.
Bleeding your radiator can also help to remove any air pockets that have become trapped.
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There may also be sludge in the radiator if you’ve never maintained it.
To fix this you need to flush the radiator. Bleed it, take it off the wall then attach a hose pipe to the radiator valve inlet, turning on full blast to flush out all the dirt and grime.
Once water runs through clearly, the issue is solved and you can reattach the radiator to the wall.
It will take just 20 minutes of your time and you only need a bleed key, cloth and towel to place underneath while you do it.
A lesser known tip is to top up the corrosion inhibitor.
Water doesn’t mix well with metal, so radiators that are turned off will corrode without it.
Adding a corrosion inhibitor helps break down sludge that has built up from rust and stops a blockage from forming, keeping the system working efficiently and prolonging the lifespan.
You can buy corrosion inhibitors at most hardware stores and it will save you a lot of maintenance costs on repairs.
Switch providers
The old best way to ensure saving on your energy bills was by switching.
Websites like moneysupermarket.com, comparethemarket.com and GoCompare are all useful to do this.
If you’d rather not do it yourself, you can arrange for a firm such as Look After My Bills or Switchcraft to swap you to a cheap new deal annually.
Alternatively, you can phone your provider and ask them to move you on to a cheaper tariff.
But this might not be the best option anymore.
Martin Lewis’ moneysavingexpert.com said for most people switching won’t save you money in the current market.
It’s still worth checking out the websites above though as you might find a cheaper deal.
Apply for a government discount scheme
You can also can apply for extra help with your energy bills. The warm homes discount scheme offers households up to £140.
This scheme is usually paid directly to your energy supplier, which will then apply the discount to your bills. You may be sent a £140 voucher if you have a pre-payment meter.
If you live in a low income household, you can also get £25 a week to help with energy bills during the winter thanks to the cold weather payment scheme.
You’ll get a payment if the average temperature in your area falls to zero degrees celsius or below over the space of a week, but you’ll need to be on some kind of means tested benefits to claim.
Another method of reducing your fuel costs by up to £300 a year is to use winter fuel payments.
The winter fuel payments are made automatically for most people, usually in November or December, and you’ll be sent a letter telling you how much you’ll get and when exactly you can expect it.
