Heating experts all agree on the 1 most important way to keep your house warm (Image: kupicoo via Getty Images)
Temperatures have plummeted below freezing, vast swathes of Britain are blanketed in snow, and schools have shut their doors. Sunday evening marked the chilliest night of the winter thus far, with mercury dropping to a bone-numbing -10.9°C.
With further snowfall and freezing conditions predicted for the days ahead, maintaining a cosy home has never been more vital.
However, managing household energy expenses has grown increasingly difficult in recent times, with costs soaring by approximately £600 annually compared to 2022. Therefore, implementing measures to minimise heating costs has become absolutely essential.
Thankfully, there are simple and, crucially, free techniques to dramatically slash your bills. I consulted over 100 specialists on how to heat your property as economically as possible — one particular strategy topped many of their lists.
1. Draught-proof your property and retain warmth
This guidance was most commonly cited by the specialists. Christine Matthews, a heating equipment authority 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 enhancement company with more than 25 years’ expertise, 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 that draught-proofing could slash your bills by up to £85 annually. Tom Edmunds, a heating specialist at Wunda Group, highlighted that homes can lose 10-20% of their warmth through windows and external doors “making it vital to audit and seal any gaps where even the slightest draught could be creeping through”.
The specialists’ suggestions included:
Apply inexpensive sealant for draughty windows.Use rugs to insulate and heat up chilly, solid floors.Deploy an inflatable cushion, chimney cap or alternative excluder to draught-proof an open chimney when not in operation – this could slash another £65 annually.Use the candle technique to identify where draughts are entering.
An Octopus Energy representative explained: “It sounds simple, but preventing heat loss makes a huge difference… plug any draughty gaps around windows or doors, and don’t forget things like letter boxes or unused chimneys that leak warm air.”
There is one way to warm up your home that experts put above all others (Image: Getty)
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, observed: “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 can also be an effective solution.
2. Open and close your curtains at the right times
One particularly efficient strategy is to keep curtains open during daylight hours and close them after dark. Nick Duggan from The Radiator Centre elaborated: “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. Use your thermostat properly
A common blunder is returning to a cold house and immediately cranking up the thermostat to maximum in hopes of warming things up more quickly. Experts unanimously agree that this approach doesn’t work.
Your home won’t heat up any faster, but your energy bills will certainly rise. Additional tips for using your thermostat to reduce costs include:
Setting it to the correct temperature initially – experts have agreed on the exact temperatureConsider lowering it by just one degree – this could potentially save you £120 on your billsOnly use it when necessary and avoid keeping it running low all day.
Gav Murray, heating director at Hive, clarified: “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 recommended: “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, pointed out: “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.”
Cheap sealer works for draughty windows (Image: Getty)
4. Only heat the rooms you’re using
While smart thermostats can help reduce waste by heating individual rooms to different temperatures, they may not be affordable for many households. However, there’s a simple, cost-free solution: simply turn off radiators in unused rooms.
Additionally, you can also:
Keep doors closed so the heat stays in the room you’re usingLeave the oven door open after you’re done cooking.
Christine Matthews from gr8fires.co.uk proposed: “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. Use your boiler and radiators properly
Many households often wonder why their homes remain chilly without investigating whether their boiler and radiators are operating efficiently. An older, less efficient boiler will exert more effort while providing less effective heating.
Key maintenance tasks include:
Ensure your boiler is in good condition and have it servicedAdjust the flow temperature of your boiler to the appropriate levelBleed and clean your radiators – here’s howAvoid obstructing radiators with furniture or curtains – a radiator hidden behind curtains will merely dissipate its heat outdoors instead of warming the room, while a sofa blocking a radiator will also hinder its heat output.
The flow temperature refers to the heat of the water as it circulates from the boiler to the radiators. Many systems are set too high by default.
Sam Carter, a radiator specialist at Appliances Direct, clarified: “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, advised: “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. Keep yourself warm first
While it might seem obvious, donning extra clothing, blankets or even using a hot water bottle to stay cosy can lessen your dependence on central heating. Layer up with thermal underwear and socks, wear a dressing gown and snuggle under a blanket while working from home or watching telly. A hot water bottle can also be beneficial.
Kevin Pennigton of Lancashire Air Conditioning pointed out: “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’s important
Ian Palmer-Smith, appliance expert 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 keyBucket or mug to catch the waterA cloth to clean up any spillsSafety gloves and clothing to protect yourself against any hot water
Method:
Turn off your central heating system and wait for the radiators to cool completely until they’re safe to handle.
Next, let out the trapped air. Place a cloth or container underneath the valve to catch any water that might leak out.
Ian advises: “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.”
