Money-saving expert has shared several ways to reduce energy bills this winter, including a radiator trick, and avoiding ‘demon appliance’
Money-saving guru Martin Lewis has shared how Britons can slash their heating costs this winter using a budget-friendly household item.
With the cold autumn weather arriving, families throughout the UK are considering firing up their heating systems for the first time this season. A major issue is radiators heating areas that contribute little to raising room temperatures, as warmth rapidly escapes to the outdoors.
During his BBC Podcast, Mr Lewis previously recommended that households should think about fitting reflective panels behind their radiators to bounce heat back into living spaces rather than letting it seep through walls to the exterior.
He said: “A tip for you reflective panels behind radiators. Sheets of reflective material can be placed behind radiators. Crucially this is on external wall radiators so the heat doesn’t escape. If you don’t want to pay for those then tin foil can work although it doesn’t work quite as well.”
A 4-metre roll of radiator heat reflector foil is presently on sale at Screwfix for £5.69, marked down by 15 per cent. He also offered further radiator guidance.
He added: “If you’ve got radiators in rooms that you’re not using, go and turn them off before you turn the heating on so you’re not wasting cash overheating empty spaces. Changing the flow rate on your boiler can cut gas bill by over 9% and you won’t notice the change.”
Mr Lewis also advised people to avoid using a ‘demon appliance’ whenever feasible. He explained: “Do you know what the real ‘demon appliance’ is in most people’s houses – the one that you don’t want to use because it’s really expensive. Tumble dryers. You’re typically paying up to a quid per load so dry your clothes on an airer outside, to shorten the amount of time you’re using your tumble dryer, or avoid using it completely. Those who have de-humidifiers those can take some of the moisture out of it. It’s less wattage than a tumble dryer so it can be more cost effective.”
Further cost-cutting recommendations included: “Check your TV’s on a low energy setting too and walk around your house. Be a draft detector – what drafts can you spot as you walk around your house? And then try, if you can, to seal them up.”
On his BBC Sounds podcast, 5 Live listener Rob had observed his flat becoming progressively damp following attempts to dry his washing indoors. He asked: “If I was to buy a dehumidifier, would it be cheaper than using the heating to keep the place dry?”.
Martin replied: “Dehumidifiers take water out of the air rather than use the heating and they’re much lower wattage appliances than standard heating. So if the dehumidifier works for you, it will definitely have lower electricity bills.”
