Ask our Expert

Should I keep my radiators on low all day?

Our expert says…

It is a common misconception that it can be more efficient to leave your heating on all of the time at a lower level, rather than on at full capacity when needed.

Turning off radiators in un-used rooms will mean that the central heating system does not have as much space to heat. This means the boiler will fire up less often and save on fuel bills.

To use the heating system most efficiently you should ensure that you have a heating timer, a room thermostat, and Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRV) fitted.

Thermostatic Radiator Valves sense the air temperature around them and regulate the flow of hot water entering the radiators to keep a set temperature in a room.

Your programmer or timer should also be set so that the heating only comes on when needed.

The most efficient way to use your heating system is to make sure it is only on and heating your home to the temperature specified by the room thermostat and only at the times when you are at home.

Likewise it is more efficient to only heat the parts of the home that are used, and to close off doors to colder rooms that are used less often.

With TRVs, you can control which areas of the homes you want to heat more or less, or not at all, therefore reducing unnecessary fuel use.

Fine-tune your central heating in this way and, according to the Energy Saving Trust (EST), you could save around 15% off your heating bill.

Another top tip is to set your thermostat at the lowest comfortable temperature - typically between 18°C and 21°C. The EST says that by lowering your thermostat by just 1°C could save you around £40 a year.

In addition it is always worth bleeding your radiators. By releasing any air trapped in them hot water will be able to flow into every part of the radiator and in turn the radiator will do a better job of warming your room.

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