The underused radiator setting that could help slash your energy bills by £75 a year
MILLIONS of households could slash their energy bills with the help of a simple radiator setting.
The advice comes just weeks before thousands will pay more for their gas and electricity when the energy bill support scheme comes to an end.
The end of the scheme will mean that households will no longer get a £66-£67 monthly energy bill subsidy.
But there are still a number of ways to slash your energy bill – one of those is by installing and using a thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) correctly.
The Sun previously spoke to Nathan Martin-Nicholls, a plumber at INHOUSE Plumbing and Heating to find out exactly what those numbers on our TRVs really mean.
If you’ve got a TRV attached to your radiators, you’ll be able to limit or turn off the flow of hot water into the radiator.
This can help reduce the amount of gas that your boiler needs to burn to heat up the water in your central heating system.
A study by Salford University found that a typical central heating system uses 42% less gas when radiators are fitted with these gadgets.
Nathan said the most common question that he gets asked as a plumber is: “What do the numbers on a thermostatic radiator valve mean?”
He said that most people assume that they refer to the temperature of the radiator.
In fact, this is totally incorrect and the numbers carry a completely different meaning.
“The numbers actually relate to the temperature in the room, not the temperature of the radiator,” according to Nathan.
The whole point of a TRV is to detect the temperature of a room and then control how much hot water is let into the radiator.
So if the room is cold, the TRV will sense this and allow more hot water into the radiator to heat up the room quickly.
As the room gets warmer, the TRV will restrict the amount of hot water coming into the radiator to maintain the temperature of the room.
And as the room temperature starts to drop, the TRV senses the temperature and will allow more hot water in again, repeating the process.
Nathan said that the number settings on the TRV roughly correspond to the room temperatures below:
- 0 = 0°C (off)
- ✱ = 7°C (usually shown as a snowflake or full stop symbol)
- 1 = 10°C
- 2 = 15°C
- 3 = 20°C
- 4 = 25°C
- 5 = 30°C
Nathan said: “TRVs are a simple way to give you full temperature control on radiators in any rooms where you have the TRVs installed.
“The main benefit to them is that they will save you money on your heating bills, if you use them correctly.”
How much can you save with TRVs?
The average household can save up to £75 every year if they have thermostatic radiator valves fitted on all their radiators, according to British Gas.
Valves can be picked up for less than £10 and they’re easy to replace yourself if some of yours are not working.
Households can also get their hands on smart TRVs which can be controlled via an app but these are more expensive with prices starting at £44 from Toolstation.
What numbers should I set my TRVs to?
During the winter months, Nathan recommended households to set their TRV to 2 or 3 in smaller rooms.
He said: “If you go into a room that is cold and the radiator is burning hot, leave it alone and don’t adjust it. Let it do its job and allow the TRV to heat the room accordingly.
Those going away this winter should keep their radiator TRV on the lowest setting so that the radiators will come on for a short while if the temperature drops below 7°C.
Nathan warned against turning your TRVs to five.
“If you turn a TRV up to five, basically you are telling it not to stop letting hot water into the radiator until the room reaches a very very high temperature (around 30°C).
“If the temperature drops below 30 degrees, hot water will be allowed into the radiator to heat the room.”
Households should only have TRVs on five or their maximum setting in rooms where you need the short and sharp heat.
How else can I cut my energy bills?
The positioning of your thermostat, which controls the temperature in your home, has a major influence over how big your bills are.
Position it in the wrong part of a room and you’ll add hundreds to your bills.
The Sun spoke to experts to find out the best room and location to place your thermostat to keep your bills as low as possible.
If you turn your boiler’s flow temperature down as well as any thermostatic radiator valves in some rooms – you could save around £180 annually on your energy bills.
A couple managed to cut £400 off their EDF Energy bill by turning off their immersion heater.
Topping up loft insulation and switching to a smart meter can bring a household a further £230 worth of annual savings, according to Nesta.
It is also important to ensure that when your boiler’s running that there’s no draught.
Ventilation is good for health and air quality but it’s the first place where heat will escape.
If there’s a draught, grab a draught excluder and plug the gap.
You should also ensure your windows are closed before the sun sets.
It’s also worth closing your curtains before it gets dark as the heat will then stay inside your home.
Another great way to ensure you save money is to turn off your boiler when you’re not using the water.
Most boilers or thermostats have a setting to allow you to schedule when the heating turns on and off.
Consider what rooms in your home need heating.
You won’t be using each one 24/7 so make sure the heating is off in any rooms that aren’t occupied.
There is also a list of other common boiler problems we’ve rounded up that could be pumping up your bills.
A noisy boiler could also indicate that your water pressure is low or there’s a pump failure.
If you spot rust on your boiler then it could mean you’re paying more than you need to on using your appliance.
Although rust itself does not cause issues, it could be a sign that there is a leak – which indicates there is a problem with your boiler.
It can also upset the temperature balance in your boiler, making it run less efficiently and ramping up costs.