A simple mistake with your radiator could be costing you hundreds of pounds and leaving you chilly. The cold weather isn’t over yet, so it’s important to make sure you’re not wasting money while trying to stay warm.
Ofgem has recently announced that its energy price cap will drop by 12.3 percent from this April. This might seem like good news for Brits who are tight on cash, but these figures will only apply from April-June.
So, you won’t see a big saving unless the price cap continues to fall or stays the same.
The standing charge for both gas and electricity is also set to go up – from 53.35p per day to 60.10p and 9.60p per day to 31.43p per day, respectively. This means many people will find it hard to keep up with their energy bills.
It’s worth checking your radiators during these cold times, as a common mistake could be costing you lots of money, and stopping your house from getting warm, reports the Mirror.
Many modern systems work using a thermostatic valve (TRV) which lets households control where heat goes. This is great if you have a spare room that you don’t want to heat up every time you turn the heating on, for example, or if you’re often cooking in the kitchen and don’t need the extra warmth.
But, if you don’t keep an eye on it, it could also mean you’re wasting energy. If your heating is set to a high temperature, but your TRVs are turned off or on low – you’ll basically be paying to run the boiler without getting the level of heat you want.
Experts from Which?
say it’s a ‘huge waste of money’, warning: “If your thermostat is telling your boiler it’s too cold, while your radiators aren’t letting the warm water in, your boiler will just keep sending hot water around your pipes in a circle, wasting energy in a cold house.”
In simpler terms, however high you put your heating – if your TRVs are turned off or on low – your home will never reach that temperature – but you’ll still be charged for using energy.
To stop this, check your radiator settings around the house. You might see that one radiator doesn’t have a TRV – that’s to stop the water pump from working in a closed system.
British Gas created a helpful guide to decide what setting each radiator should be on – each number relates to a range of temperatures. According to the energy provider, this usually looks like:.
0: Your radiator valves are completely closed and won’t release any heat.
1: 10C.
2: 15C.
3: 20C.
4: 25C.
5: 30C.
So, if your living room feels cold and you want to warm up – make sure your TRV is set to three or four.
But, if you’ve been using the oven in the kitchen all afternoon and it’s getting warm – you can always lower the radiator to setting 2. Remember, this is just an average guide and each appliance may vary; it may take a few attempts at perfecting which setting is right for you.
Many modern radiators will also have a frost prevention setting, or a frost icon next to one of the numbers. This is the recommended setting for when you don’t need a lot of heat but don’t want the house too get too cold, which can cause issues like damp and mould.
