How to bleed your radiator – and other ways to lower your bill by hundreds of pounds
BRITS can shave money off their energy bills in minutes just by bleeding their radiators.
If you don’t bleed your radiators, it could stop them from running properly.
It means you let out air that has become trapped inside your radiator, which can create cold spots.
It’s a quick and simple task – and it can save you money and beat record-breaking bill hikes.
Energy regulator Ofgem increased the Energy Price Cap to £1,277 from the start of this month, adding £139 to the average household bill.
It could go up even more this winter, with experts warning families could have to find £400 more to foot soaring costs.
We explain how to bleed your radiator so you can save money during chillier months.
How do I bleed a radiator?
During the summer months, it’s unlikely that you’ll have used your radiator.
It could mean that your radiators are not working properly because they haven’t been used in a while.
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You can get them back up to scratch by bleeding your radiators.
Uswitch says there are three steps you need to take.
Firstly, you need to turn your heating on to make sure that the system is working properly – make sure the radiators are fully heated before doing anything else.
Then, you need to see which radiators need bleeding.
To do this, check whether there are parts of the radiator which have cool spots – particularly at the top.
This means that there could be air trapped inside, stopping the radiator from working well.
Then you need to switch off your heating before doing anything else – otherwise you might burn yourself or soak the floor.
You’ll need a radiator key – available at DIY shops – to attach onto the radiator valve, which is located at the top of the radiator.
A radiator valve cap is used to control the flow of water to your radiator.
Turn the radiator key slowly anti-clockwise and hold a cloth underneath to catch any water.
If you hear a hissing sound, it means the trapped air is escaping – once this stops, close the valve to stop water coming out.
You should bleed your radiator once a year to make sure they’re running properly.
How else can I reduce my energy bill?
There’s other simple hacks you can do to reduce your energy bill.
Simply turning your thermostat down by one notch can help lower your bills by £80 a year.
Keep it at a steady temperature to save even more too.
Make sure you turn household appliances off and not leave them on standby.
Doing this could needlessly add £35 onto your bill.
Applying for government schemes to help you foot rising energy costs.
Get up to £300 to help cover the cost of your energy bills during the coldest months of the year by applying for Winter Fuel Payments.
You have to be an eligible pensioner to get the help – payments depend on your age and if you claim certain benefits.
While Cold Weather Payments mean low income households can get £25 a week during the winter months.
You get the cash when temperatures are recorded as zero degrees or below for seven consecutive days on average.
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