How to heat your house for free
Is there such a thing as “free heating”? We share the best low-to-no-cost hacks to keep your house warm
Can we do anything about the price of energy? Ofgem has confirmed that the new energy price cap, covering from October through to the end of the year, will see a typical household’s energy bills (who use electricity and gas and pay by Direct Debit) increase by around 10% compared to the previous period (1 July to 30 September). And, of course, we’re still at the mercy of wholesale energy prices, with The Energy Saving Trust predicting that prices are set to remain “high” until the end of the decade.
While we can’t change wholesale prices, there are some things we can do around the home to reduce our own heating costs, like blocking draughts, plugging in an electric heater or layering up. We spoke to Uswitch.com’s energy expert, Ben Gallizzi, to get the low-down on the best home energy-saving hacks, while Joanna Flowers, a service and repair engineer at British Gas, shared some top tips for ensuring ultimate energy efficiency when it comes to our appliances.
Take control of your heating
Want to save up to 10% on your energy bill? Check your thermostat. The Energy Saving Trust reports that lowering your thermostat by just one degree can yield these savings.
Next, take a look at your boiler. If you have a combi boiler, Uswitch’s Ben Gallizzi suggests simply reducing the flow rate: “Most of these boilers work best when heated to 60°C or below, but they’re often set well above this temperature, costing you more money.”
You may already have thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) fitted. These indispensable gizmos are very easy to control, with a temperature scale from 1 to 5, enabling you to adjust the temperature of each radiator individually, and saving you from having to heat every single room to the same temperature unnecessarily. As Joanna Flowers from British Gas explains: “If you are working from home during the day, you can plan to only heat the space you’re working from. Or ensure the heating downstairs is turned off at bedtime. The average household can save up to £75 per year with thermostatic radiator valves.”
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Radiator maintenance
Once you’ve tweaked your heating settings, it’s time to check your radiators. Ensuring that heat can move freely from the radiator and circulate around the room is paramount if you want to get the most out of your heating. “Think about where your radiators are and make sure you’re allowing them to do their job properly”, Flowers says. “Putting sofas in front of a radiator may keep the best spot in the house extra toasty, but it will absorb heat that could be warming the rest of the room.”
If you want to give your radiators an extra boost? “Another trick worth trying is putting reflective foil behind the radiator to bounce heat back into the room”, Gallizzi tells us.
Lastly, if you notice any cold spots on your radiators – particularly at the bottom – or if you think they’re heating up at different speeds, despite being turned on at the same time, then it’s a good idea to bleed and balance them to ensure they’re at optimum efficiency.
Draught-proof your home
“Draughts are the enemy when it comes to heating your home efficiently”, says Gallizzi. “Doors, windows, fireplaces and loft hatches can all let cold air in, so make sure these are well sealed. Be creative when it comes to filling the gaps – you don’t have to spend a fortune.”
Walk around your house and take note of any potential draughts – even the most well-intentioned boiler and radiator adjustments won’t amount to much if heat is simply escaping. This wastage may simply be as a result of overdue maintenance – this is something that can be particularly true in older properties – but if you begin by draught-proofing windows and doors, you can look to save around £60 per year.
A great way of tackling draughts is to “furnish for warmth”, as Flowers says. “Curtains and rugs have an important part to play, because thick material (the thicker the better) prevents heat from being lost through windows and doors.” So, if you know one room is significantly cooler than another, try moving some of the thicker furnishings around to help combat this.
To close up gaps between a window and its frame, draught excluder tape is an easy, cost-effective, DIY method at just £5 a roll. If you have a gap between the bottom of a door and your floor, a draught excluder is a great investment and can cost less than a tenner.
Although they’re more expensive, thermal curtains can help to further insulate your windows, keeping warmth in during the winter and even keeping some of the heat out during the summer. For a more cost-effective hack, you can try attaching thermal curtain liners to your existing curtains to improve their thermal efficiency, for as little as £12 a pair.
Windows and doors aren’t the only places to look for draughts, though. As Flowers tells us, “Your keyhole and letterbox can also allow cold air into your home, but keyhole covers and letterbox brush strips are cost-effective, as well as quick and easy to fit.”
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Boost your home’s insulation
The most expensive of our solutions is to address your home’s insulation, but it’s included for good reason: up to a quarter of your home’s heat can be lost through your roof, and around a third can be lost through uninsulated walls. So, while it may be a higher initial outlay, the potential cost savings are far greater – proper loft insulation alone could save you between £240 – £445 on your energy bills per year, depending on the size of your home.
As Ben Gallizzi says: “Ultimately, you want to keep as much warm air inside your home as possible.” So, whether it’s checking your boiler, deploying draught excluders, adding insulation or even just moving furniture away from your radiators, there are potential savings to be found in the hunt for lower energy bills.
