In January’s freezing temperatures this is more important than ever.
With temperatures plunging below zero, much of the UK blanketed in snow, and schools shutting their doors, it’s clear that winter has firmly set in. Sunday night marked the coldest of the season thus far, with the mercury dipping to a chilly -10.9°C.
With forecasts predicting more snow and sub-zero temperatures in the coming days, keeping your home cosy is more vital than ever.
However, grappling with escalating household energy bills has become an increasingly daunting task in recent years, with costs now approximately £600 higher per annum compared to 2022, reports Wales Online. Therefore, finding ways to minimise heating expenses has never been more critical.
Thankfully, there are simple and, crucially, cost-free strategies to significantly slash your bills. I sought advice from over 100 experts on how to heat your home as efficiently as possible. One particular tip topped many of their lists. You can find this, along with five other key points, below.
1. Draught-proof your home and retain heat
This piece of advice was the most frequently cited by the experts. Christine Matthews, a heating appliance specialist from gr8fires.co.uk, stated: “Draught-proofing is your first and most cost-effective line of defence.”
Tom Polkinghorne, director of Creations Building and Landscaping, a home improvement company with over 25 years of experience, remarked: “The main thing for reducing heating bills is efficiency. A lot of homes use more energy to heat their home than they should, because the heat escapes too quickly.”
Martyn Bridges, director of external affairs at Worcester Bosch, and Liz Hunter, commercial director at online comparison site MoneyExpert, both suggested draught-proofing could save households up to £85 annually. Tom Edmunds, a heating specialist at Wunda Group, highlighted that homes can lose 10-20% of their heat through windows and external doors “making it vital to audit and seal any gaps where even the slightest draught could be creeping through”.
The experts’ suggestions included:
- Use inexpensive sealer for draughty windows.
- Use rugs to insulate and warm up cold, hard floors.
- Use an inflatable pillow, chimney cap or other excluder to draught-proof an open chimney when not in use – this could save another £65 annually.
- Use the candle method to identify where draughts are entering.
An Octopus Energy spokesperson explained: “It sounds simple, but stopping heat loss makes a huge difference… fill any draughty gaps around windows or doors, and don’t forget things like letter boxes or unused chimneys that leak warm air.”
Sophie Graham, a personal finance specialist at Sunny, added: “Simple draught excluders, weather stripping, or even rolled-up towels can block these gaps and help keep the warmth inside.”
Fiona Peake, household finance specialist at Ocean Finance, noted: “Using cheap draught excluders or self-adhesive strips is a simple fix that keeps more warmth inside, meaning the heating does not need to stay on for as long.”
Applying clear caulk or weather-stripping around windows offers an alternative approach.
2. Open and close your curtains at strategic times
A highly effective technique is to keep curtains open throughout the day and draw them closed once darkness falls. Nick Duggan from The Radiator Centre said: “During daylight hours, allowing sunlight through the windows will help utilise the natural heat from the sun. In the evening, closing the curtains… helps to trap the warmth generated during the day and prevents it from escaping through the windows.”
3. Operate your thermostat correctly
It’s a widespread error: returning home to a cold house and turning the thermostat up to its highest setting in a bid to accelerate the warming process. Specialists unanimously agree on this matter: it’s ineffective.
Your home won’t warm up any quicker, but your energy costs will definitely rise. Further thermostat recommendations for lowering expenses include:
Only activate it when necessary and avoid leaving it running at a low setting throughout the day Gav Murray, heating director at Hive, said: “While it can be tempting to crank up the thermostat, this won’t heat your house any quicker, instead using more energy to reach the higher temperature and ending up costing you more. The job of a thermostat is to tell your heating system to operate until the set temperature is achieved – and if this is higher, it will actually take longer rather than getting there faster.”
Octopus Energy suggested: “You’ll stay comfier – and use energy more efficiently – by setting it to come on only when you need it and leaving it steady between 18-21°C.”
Ricky Sharma from Engineering Real Results, a training organisation for heating engineers and plumbers, highlighted: “Lowering your thermostat by just 1°C could cut your bill by around 10%, according to the Energy Saving Trust, which equates to an average of £120 a year back in your pocket.”
4. Only heat the rooms you’re using
While smart thermostats can reduce waste by heating different rooms to specific temperatures, they may be out of reach for many households financially. Fortunately, there’s a simple, no-cost alternative: just turn off radiators in rooms that aren’t being used.
You can also:
- Keep doors shut so warmth remains in the room you’re occupying
- Leave the oven door ajar once you’ve finished cooking.
Christine Matthews from gr8fires.co.uk advised: “If most of the household is spending an evening together in one room, consider using a space heater, modern electric fire, or wood-burning stove to heat just that space for a few hours, rather than turning up the central heating for the whole house.”
5. Ensure your boiler and radiators are working efficiently
Many households question why their homes feel chilly without checking whether their boiler and radiators are operating properly. An ageing and inefficient boiler will work significantly harder whilst heating far less effectively.
Key maintenance tasks include:
Don’t cover radiators with furniture or curtains – a radiator concealed by curtains will simply direct its heat outdoors rather than into the room, whilst a sofa positioned in front of a radiator will also obstruct its warmth.
The flow temperature determines how hot the water is as it circulates from the boiler through to the radiators. Numerous systems are set excessively high from the factory.
Sam Carter, radiator expert at Appliances Direct, explained: “Lowering your boiler flow temperature from 80°C to 60°C can reduce your gas use by up to 9%… and dropping it to 55°C could save as much as 12% [up to £65 a year] without sacrificing comfort.”
Nick Duggan, managing director at The Radiator Centre, explained: “Bleeding radiators at least once a year is a must to ensure they are operating efficiently. Air will build up in radiators… and where there is air water will not be able to reach. This means that straight away you will not be benefitting from the radiator’s full heat potential, which may then mean you are tempted to turn the heating up or keep it on for longer, both of which will add to the cost.”
6. Warm yourself before heating your home
Whilst it might seem obvious, bundling up in extra layers, blankets or even using a hot water bottle to keep warm can decrease your dependence on central heating. Add thermal underwear and socks to your wardrobe, slip on a dressing gown and wrap yourself in a blanket whilst working from home or lounging in front of the telly. A hot water bottle can provide additional warmth too.
Kevin Pennigton of Lancashire Air Conditioning noted: “Heating the home to be comfortable for someone wearing summer wear is incredibly expensive compared to heating it for person wearing warm clothing such as a thick dressing gown, or a hoodie.”
How to bleed your radiators and why it matters
Ian Palmer-Smith, appliance specialist at Domestic and General, explains: “Bleeding your radiators is important because when they are working inefficiently, they can drive up the cost of your energy bills. If your radiator feels cold at the top and hot at the bottom, this means there is trapped air inside of it that is preventing hot water from circulating, and needs bleeding. You should bleed your radiators at least once a year.”
You will need:
- A radiator key
- Bucket or mug to catch the water
- A cloth to clean up any spills
- Safety gloves and clothing to protect yourself against any hot water
Method:
Turn off your central heating system and wait for the radiators to cool down until they’re safe to handle.
Next, release the trapped air. Place a cloth or container underneath the valve to catch any water that might leak out.
Ian clarifies: “Take your radiator key and insert it into the valve, turning it anti-clockwise. As you do this, you should hear a hissing sound; this is the air leaving the radiator. You can use the cloth to clear up any excess water that comes out.”
Lastly, shut the valve. Ian continues: “As soon as the sound stops coming from the radiator, you will need to tighten the valve back up. You can then put your central heating on and feel the warmth coming from your radiator.”
