Energy bill hack: Six heating myths debunked - why you could be adding major costs
ENERGY BILLS are high on the agenda of many households in the UK currently. But, are you creating added costs for yourself by falling into the trap of believing certain heating myths? Here, Express.co.uk debunks six home heating misconceptions.
Ros Atkins on why energy bills are rising
Last week it was announced that energy bills for a typical household in the British Isles will soon be growing by almost £700 a year. This follows Ofgem raising the energy price cap to a record level, with homeowners across the country now carefully considering the energy usage in their own property. In fact, some may believe they’re saving extra cash by listening to tips they’ve heard or read about. However, by adhering to these could they actually be extending the cost of their monthly bill?
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Numerous UK residents will currently be wondering how they can save on their energy bills after it was revealed the price cap would be set at £2,000 per year.
The change which takes effect from this April will see energy bills for an average UK home rise from £1,277 to £1,971 on a yearly basis, or £107 per month to £164.
Leaving the heating on low all day and painting your radiators black are among the myths which are suggested to help people save on their outgoings.
However, could they just be myths and nothing more? Here’s six heating theories debunked for you.
READ MORE: Is energy price hike fair or are we being taken for fools?
1.) Turning down individual radiators saves money
While it may seem like common sense to think that the less heat coming from a radiator, the lower your heating costs will be for the end of the month, but this isn’t always the case.
In truth, if your main thermostat is on and set to a specific temperature, your radiators will not rest until the room that they’re in reaches that temperature.
Consequently, if you don’t plan on using the room then your best option is to turn the radiator off, rather than down.
2.) It’s cheaper to leave the heating on low all day
Regardless of the situation, having your heating on when you aren’t at home is always going to cost you money.
Instead, you’re much better off setting your timer to come on at certain times only, to make sure that your house is cosy by the point you get home.
3.) Keeping hot water on all day is a money saver
Another easy assumption is that because the initial cost of turning the water in your tank from hot to cold is high, it's cheaper to keep hot water on all day.
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Unfortunately, that simply isn’t the case as having your water supply heated 24/7 is literally throwing money down the plughole.
Readers should note that the hot water in your tank, assuming that it is properly insulated, should stay heated for at least a few hours.
4.) Turning up your thermostat will heat your house quicker
A common misconception is to make a beeline for your thermostat and crank up the heating when the weather takes a turn for the worst. After all, this will heat the house up quicker, right?
However, your home will heat up at the same rate no matter what the thermostat is set to.
The only difference is that, by turning up your heating to the max, you’ll waste money by making your home far warmer than it needs to be.
5.) Painting radiators black helps save cash
Although the colour black absorbs heat, painting your radiators that colour will not necessarily help to warm your home.
The reason for this is that radiators give off primarily convective heat, which warms up the air in a room.
This air naturally circulates to heat up the entire room and is not affected by the colour of your radiator.
In conclusion, your radiator might get slightly hotter when painted black, but not enough to make a noticeable difference.
6.) You should wait until your boiler breaks down to get it checked
Being left without hot water or heating isn’t ideal at the best of times, let alone during the winter.
So, don’t make the mistake of waiting for your boiler to break and get it serviced regularly - ideally once a year - to avoid being hit with a costly repair bill when winter strikes.
