With the energy bills price cap increasing later this year to a hefty £1,717, any opportunity to save money whilst using the heating is a welcome bonus for UK households
With the mercury is set to drop in the coming weeks, many of us will be turning the central heating on once again to keep warm.
This inevitably leads to a surge in energy consumption and with prices due to rise again in October, it’s a bleak outlook for our bank accounts. With the price cap increasing to £1,717, any chance to save some money while keeping the house warm will be welcomed by households across the UK.
According to the energy and insulation gurus National Insulation Solutions, a 99p purchase could be the “key” to saving hundreds of pounds. Radiator bleeding keys, which can be snapped up for the tiny amount from online retailers and hardware stores, can help make homes toastier and cut down on central heating costs by eliminating trapped air accumulated over the summer months.
It’s estimated that up to 20% of your bill can be saved by having properly efficient radiators – which at this winter’s cap is a figure close to £350. Bleeding is a straightforward task and takes as little as five minutes per radiator – and it only needs to be done once every six months.
Home heating expert Mitchell Wray explains: “There are often household maintenance tasks that can be neglected or forgotten, and for lots of Brits bleeding your radiators might be one of them. Lots of advice often is focused on the central heating and boiler itself, but often money is wasted by not checking your actual radiators, and in some cases, can impact your overall central heating.”
Mitchell points out that trapped air can prevent radiators from heating up effectively, leading to higher energy costs as boilers work harder to combat the issue. And he goes on to highlight several tell-tale signs that it’s time to bleed your radiators, namely: if the top of the radiator is cold while the bottom is warm, if there are cold spots on the radiator, if you hear gurgling sounds, if your home feels chilly despite the heating being on, or simply if you haven’t bled them yet this year.
For the bleeding process, you’ll need a radiator key and something to catch any drips, like a cloth or bowl. Wrapping up his advice, Mitchell provides a step-by-step guide: turn off the boiler first to avoid hot water escaping, find the bleed valve at the top of the radiator, and use the radiator key to turn it anti-clockwise.
You’ll know air is being released when you hear hissing. Continue until water dribbles out, then close the valve by turning it clockwise once water flows. Then, wait 15 minutes before restarting the boiler to ensure pressure stabilises. Mitchell also shares his ‘top tip’, adding: “If you have multiple radiators, start with the one farthest from the boiler.”