Placing one item behind your radiator can stop heat escaping through walls and save up to £900 a year on energy bills
Temperatures continue to plummet nationwide, leaving households battling a persistent chill. Whilst many will crank up their radiators to stay cosy, this could see energy bills soaring, reports the Express.
However, one DIY enthusiast has warned that you might be haemorrhaging money before your rooms have even warmed up. Jasmine, known as @_ohabode on TikTok, has shared a straightforward DIY trick that anyone can implement to prevent heat seeping through walls.
In her caption, Jasmine wrote: “Boost the heat in your room by stopping it going into the walls! Best used on uninsulated exterior walls (don’t stick it down though so it allows air flow and avoid mould). Only apply to dry walls not prone to damp. Always keep your home ventilated.”
She added: “Savings won’t be quite as drastic if your home isn’t huge with tonnes of radiators, but you’ll still make a saving and notice the difference instantly!”
Her solution? Multi-purpose foil insulation. According to Jasmine, this clever hack takes just five minutes to complete.
She explained that families could be squandering cash on heating before rooms even reach a comfortable temperature. By placing foil insulation behind radiators, it helps warm spaces more quickly, stops heat from escaping, and could potentially slash up to £900 annually from your energy bills, she claimed.
Jasmine explained: “Even if your thermostat is set correctly and your system is in good shape, a huge amount of heat never actually reaches your room. In the UK, roughly a third of heat is lost straight through your walls.”
She added: “In older homes, you could be losing even more. So grab some scissors and let’s save you about £900.”
There’s no need for specialist equipment – just ordinary scissors to trim the insulation foil to the right dimensions. Jasmine splashed out £10 on a roll of the reflective material along with some adhesive pads.
Getting the insulation foil to fit properly is straightforward – simply measure the space between your radiator brackets and cut accordingly. Next, peel off the backing from the sticky pads and attach the foil behind your radiator.
For radiators that can be detached without hassle, take them off the wall and position the foil directly onto the surface for an improved seal. Jasmine also recommended trimming the material around pipework to prevent any warmth from escaping.
She noted: “This foil essentially prevents the heat from getting into the wall and radiates it back into the room.”
When dealing with lengthier radiators, Jasmine advised cutting the foil to the appropriate size before creating a slot in the material, keeping roughly 5cm at the top, which allows it to hook over central brackets. This approach eliminates the requirement for adhesive pads.
Multi-purpose foil insulation is available from retailers including Amazon, ScrewFix, and B&Q.
If you want ideas and inspiration to plan your next UK adventure plus selected offers and competitions, sign up for our 2Chill weekly newsletter here
