I’m a heating expert & there’s a mistake people make that causes higher bills – here’s how to check what you should do
WITH the cost-of-living crisis impacting households up and down the country, people are doing everything they can to cut back on costs.
But according to one heating expert, there’s a common mistake that people make that can actually cause bills to surge – and the chances are you’re guilty of doing it, too…
Ben Price, founder of Heatable, warned that turning off unused radiators this winter “may drive up heating bills.”
“Turning off your heating in unused rooms by turning the radiator’s thermostatic radiator valve to zero or off can save you energy, but it could also cost you more money because ultimately they’re always directly related,” he says, speaking to The Express.
And apparently, it all comes down to the age and type of boiler you have….
“If your boiler is an old G-rated and non-condensing boiler (typically sold before 2005), you will likely save money by turning off unused radiators,” Ben continues.
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“However, if you have a modern condensing boiler, they operate more efficiently at lower flow temperatures.”
The heating guru goes on to say how people can determine whether they have a modern condensing boiler by seeing if there’s a wipe pipe exiting from the bottom of the boiler.
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“This is all due to the way modern condensing boiler technology works,” he explains.
“Instead of heat being wasted and sent out by your flue pipe, it is recycled back into your central heating system.”
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Ben adds that a more efficient way of saving energy is to reduce the flow temperature.
This is something that can be achieved in two different ways – by using a modulating thermostat and increasing the radiator surface area.
The heating expert concludes by noting that it’s best to leave unused radiators on to allow the water to continue to flow through them.
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Otherwise, he says, the other radiators and boiler will end up having to “work harder,” burning more energy and causing bills to soar in the long-run.
“This is all due to the fact that while the radiators are less hot, they are still able to heat your home to the desired temperature,” he adds.