As the weather gets colder, people are starting to worry about their energy bills – but there’s a simple one-second hack that could help you save money this winter.
As the autumn and winter months roll in, energy bills become a bigger worry. With the heating cranked up more frequently, costs can skyrocket – which is not ideal, given the already steep bills.
We’re all on the hunt for ways to cut corners on how much we spend on energy, and even the tiniest of actions can make a significant impact.
According to consumer gurus at Which?, there’s a simple trick that could help ‘slash’ your energy spending. Even better, it takes just a second to do.
The experts posted a video on TikTok revealing how to trim down energy bills, and it’s all about the dial on your radiator – also known as the thermostatic radiator valve, reports the Express.
As you’ll be aware, it has numbers on it, and you can adjust the dial up or down depending on your desired room temperature when the heating is on.
However, according to the expert, you should ‘never’ crank it above three – unless it’s in the room housing your thermostat.
They said: “Whacking your thermostatic radiator valve up to five opens the valve to the max, letting loads of hot water into the radiator when your central heating is on.
“That’s great when it’s a room you want to heat up quickly, like the living room, especially if that’s where your main thermostat is.
“But if you have every radiator set to five, your heating bills could be higher than they need to be.”
Homeowners are being advised to check each radiator valve in their homes to ensure they’re set correctly, as this could save them money. The expert suggests that bedroom radiators should be set between two and three, maintaining a room temperature of 15 to 20 degrees.
If you’re planning on being away for an extended period, it’s recommended to turn the valve to the frost symbol. This allows just enough water into the radiator to keep the room above 7C, preventing the pipes from freezing.