The temperature has dropped and the temptation to put the heating on is growing.
Lets be honest, it’s incredibly hard to strike the balance between keeping your home warm and comfortable during the winter months while also making sure your energy bills remain affordable.
A quick glance through Reddit shows countless users looking for hacks and tricks to avoid getting caught out with extortionate bills over the coming months.
Luckily for everyone, St Modwen Homes – who are renowned for building sustainable homes – have outlined four expert money-saving tips that you can use to keep your home cosy and your payments low.
The first step is to bleed your radiators, for instance, might be harbouring stealthy air pockets restricting their warmth output.
Bleeding these heating units can release the trapped air, and make your radiators more effective.
You can do this by carrying out the following simple steps:
- Firstly, switch off your boiler and allow enough time for any radiators to cool down to avoid contact with boiling water
- Next, grab your bleed key – if you don’t have one, they’re readily available in most DIY shops
- Proceed to open the bleed valve using your key, turning it a quarter turn anti-clockwise. Be sure to place a towel or bowl underneath the valve in case any water escapes
- Don’t be alarmed by the hissing sound when you close the bleed valve – it’s just air escaping
- Once the hissing ceases, close the valve again
@whichuk 🌡️How to bleed your radiators If the top of the radiator is cool, or much colder than the bottom of the radiator, it's a sign your radiators need bleeding. This could be the reason your home is taking ages to warm up despite having the heating on full blast. Here is how to do it. #radiators #heating #winter #bleedingradiator #howtotiktok #howtotok #learnontiktok #learn #howtoplumbing #diy #diytok #energybills #moneysavingtips ♬ original sound – Which?
This quick trick, which only takes a few minutes, can slash your energy bills by up to 20%, saving nearly £350 annually.
Next up is the simple act of switching off your plugs. It might seem trivial, but simply switching off standby plugs could save around £40 a year. Whether it’s unused lamps or kitchen appliances, like toasters and kettles, turning off appliances at the wall instead of leaving them on standby helps cut down on energy usage.
If you find it hard to remember to do this daily, consider buying smart plugs and timers to automate the process. You could also set a daily reminder on your smartphone or smart home device.
The third tip is another radiator related one. It’s to avoid using every radiator in the house.
Most UK homes will have a radiator in every room, but not all rooms are used all the time. For instance, you might have a spare bedroom rarely used, or a bathroom that’s only occupied when guests visit.
Turning off radiators in the least-used rooms of your house is a crucial step. This simple trick can reduce Brits’ energy bills by 4.5% – that’s an extra £50 off.
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The last bit of money-saving advice is to heat yourself and not the room.
All of these tips are designed to decrease energy consumption, or to use your home’s energy more intelligently. However, it’s entirely possible to get by without switching on your energy at all – provided you’re clever and don’t mind wearing a few extra layers at home.
A one-time investment in an electric blanket. It will ensure you’re cosy at night and can cost as little as 3p an hour to run, compared to a staggering 22p per hour for standard energy supplies.
These simple, but effective tips should drastically reduce your energy consumption, and therefore the number of zeros on your monthly bill.
