Here’s how to heat your home on a budget

Editorial feature by 101 EasyWays

With energy bills now costing the average UK household £2,500 a year – the majority of which goes on heating – there’s never been a better time to find ways to warm your home for less.

Much of this advice is obvious, like wearing jumpers and closing windows, but there’s plenty more you can do to ensure you’re keeping toasty in the most efficient way possible.

First off, have a look at how you’ve laid out your furniture. While it’s often convenient to wedge a sofa up against a radiator to maximize floor space, this will mean it is absorbing heat that could be warming your home.

By moving it even a short distance away from the radiator, hot air can circulate more freely. The same goes for items like drying racks and curtains, which – by the way – you should close at night to keep the heat in and the cold out.

When it comes to central heating, bear in mind that you don’t always need to turn it up as high as you might originally think.

The UK Health Security Agency recommends 18°C ​​(65°F) as a minimum temperature for your home – marginally less than the previous figure of 21°C (70°F).

Opting for a slightly lower temperature can lead to significant savings, with the Energy Saving Trust estimating that turning thermostats down by just one degree can slash bills by up to 10%.

Another quick and easy change you can make to boost efficiency is fitting reflective radiator panels, which are relatively inexpensive and easy to install. Alternatively, use tin foil for an even cheaper option.

Other simple things you can do includes closing the door whenever you leave a room, using sausage dog draft excluders and getting your boiler serviced to ensure it’s working efficiently.

You should also be wary of some energy saving advice you may hear that simply isn’t true.

This includes the idea that you can save energy by leaving the heating on all day rather than turning it on and off. In fact, this will only lead to you paying for heat you never use, according to the Center for Sustainable Energy.

Instead, the charity recommends programming your central heating to switch off while you’re in bed, before turning back on again about half an hour before you get up.