Martin Lewis’ Money Saving Expert has exposed a widespread radiator blunder that many of us are making — and it has an easy fix.
As winter tightens its freezing hold across the UK, countless households are grappling with home heating challenges alongside soaring energy costs.
During this bitter weather, Martin Lewis’ Money Saving Expert has exposed a widespread radiator blunder that many of us are making – and it could be hitting your wallet hard. One major error during the heating season is leaving your radiators running at full blast in unoccupied rooms. This apparently innocent mistake could be inflating your already astronomical energy bills, and nobody needs that.
According to MSE, it’s crucial to control which rooms you’re heating to avoid squandering money on warming empty spaces. The money saving expert’s guidance is simple: “You can simply go round the house and turn down the radiators in the rooms you don’t want to heat.” Indeed, Smart Energy GB suggests households could save approximately £40 each year by simply turning their radiator valves down to halfway in unused rooms, reports the Express.
Whilst the fix is straightforward, it’s also worth noting that in certain homes, cooler rooms might lead to increased condensation, which can raise the risk of mould developing in properties. Another point to bear in mind is that fridges and freezers typically cannot operate at peak efficiency if room temperature drops too low, generally below 10C.
Money Saving Expert (MSE) highlights that thermostatic radiator valves offer an additional control feature enabling homeowners to set individual temperatures in each room, operating independently from the main thermostat. These valves function by stopping water flow through a specific radiator once the desired temperature has been reached, effectively switching that radiator off. Whilst the main boiler continues to heat other rooms in the property, it consumes less energy, resulting in reduced costs.
Although fitting these individual thermostatic radiator valves (if not already installed in your property) may involve an upfront expense of approximately £10 for the valve itself plus separate installation charges, the long-term benefits and savings are significant. They enable room-by-room temperature control, which could potentially save households £40 annually on energy bills.
According to MSE: “Most thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) have a frost prevention setting – usually a snowflake symbol. So when the valve is fully turned off, it’ll still let a small amount of hot water through to prevent pipes from freezing. If your radiators don’t have TRVs, be careful not to turn them off completely, as this could result in burst pipes in very cold weather.” There’s a popular myth that painting your radiators black can boost their heating efficiency. However, the Energy Saving Trust has debunked this, stating it’s simply a waste of time, money and paint.
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