As the cold weather sets in, Martin Lewis has shared some of his top tips to stay warm and save money this winter – including one hack that uses a household item
Money expert Martin Lewis has shared his top tips to help households keep warm this winter, including a simple hack that could save you some considerable money.
With many of us struggling with the cost of living, it’s important to find ways to heat your home without astronomical outgoings. On October 1, energy prices rose by another 2%, making bills even more unaffordable for many.
But Martin has a useful tip to improve heating efficiency this winter.
He suggested installing foil behind your radiators to enhance the heat, especially on external walls. You can purchase special foil for radiators – but regular aluminium foil will also work.
Simply need to measure the gap between your radiator brackets, then cut the foil accordingly. When using standard foil, double-sided tape can secure it in position.
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It’s a cheap and effective hack, with rolls of heat reflector foil costing less than £10 at several retailers.
It’s by no means Martin’s only winter tip. He further notes: “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 bills by over 9 per cent and you won’t notice the change.”
Before turning on your heating, it is also recommended to give your radiators a thorough clean. Dusty radiators are less effective at warming your space as the dust acts as an insulator, blocking airflow and making the system work harder to heat a room.
It’s also advisable to move any large items in front of your radiators, such as sofas; experts advise leaving a one foot gap between your radiator and any other furniture in your house to help your radiator heat the space quicker.
Before the winter chill really sets in, it’s further recommended that homeowners bleed radiators to eliminate any trapped air and make space for hot water.
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But it’s not just your radiators you need to focus on. Martin also urges everyone to ‘heat the person, not the home’. It means not using excess energy to keep an entire home heated when it is not necessary to keep every member of the household warm.
His money expert team has shared some key devices people can use to stay toasty. Amongst the cheapest are USB gloves (£10) a Microwaveable wheat bag (£4), and heated insoles (£10).
Other items include an electric gilet (£50 including battery pack), an electric footwarmer (£25) and an electric single blanket £35).
The team also recommends layering up on clothing – and you don’t have to splash out on. You can simply layer up clothes you already own; for example, wearing multiple T-shirts, or cutting the toes off old tights and wearing them under your trousers for added warmth.