Everyone is an energy-saving expert now, and everyone is keen to share their tips and tricks to keep heating bills down as we go into the colder, winter months.
The problems is, some myths have gained traction regardless of its validity during this cost of living crisis, with people claiming they are saving vast sums of money by adopting a trick, or hack, they have read or been told about. As some of the suggestions involve spending money to potentially save money, we thought it was time to take a look at some of the more popular money-saving suggestions doing the rounds and see whether there was actually any truth behind them.
From putting tin foil behind your radiator to the age-old debate on weather it's cheaper to have your heating on all the time, we turned to the Energy Saving Trust to see what it thought.
Read more: Cost of living crisis: Easy sum to work out how much your appliances cost to run
Putting clingfilm on your windows helps to keep heat inside your house
According to the Energy Saving Trust, this one does actually work and help keep your home warm. The principal behind this theory is that the clingfilm traps a small layer of air which can help stop heat escaping through your windows. The trust says that any material will work as long as it's transparent and airtight. Although clingfilm can be used on double glazed windows to some effect, the biggest benefit will be felt if your windows are single-glazed.
Electric heaters can be cheaper than turning your central heating on
Probably not, according to the Trust. Its advice is that electric heaters are one of the most expensive forms of heating and the cheapest way to heat your home is by using an efficient gas central heating system, with a full set of thermostatic radiator valves, a room thermostat and a timer.
You don't need thermostats on each radiator if you keep your boiler temperature low
Installing thermostatic radiator valves and using them with your thermostat could save £75 per year according to the Energy Saving Trust. Thermostatic radiator valves cost from £10 each, plus the cost of fitting them, so you probably won't get your money back immediately if you need them for every radiator, but you should start saving money next winter. The recommendation is that you use the thermostat to control the heat in your main living space and using thermostatic radiator valves to lower the heating in rooms you don't use as often.
Painting radiators black and putting reflective panels behind will save energy
Yes and no. Putting reflective panels behind radiators could help cut energy use as they reflect heat from the radiator back into the room, so it doesn't escape through external walls. The Energy Saving Trust says homes with uninsulated walls will get most benefit.
But don't waste your time painting your radiators black as the Trust says it's more important to insulate your walls to prevent the heat leaking out of your home altogether.
Leave your internal doors open when the heating is on as the house warms up quicker
It doesn't. It's better to keep doors closed for rooms that you don't heat, says the Energy Saving Trust. The reasoning behind this is that radiators, electric panel heaters and convection heaters all work by creating a current in a room. Hot air rises, circles around to the other side of the room, cools and sinks and travels along the floor to the heater to be reheated again. Closing doors stops cold air entering.
Only heating water when needed saves money
It depends. If you have a gas, oil or LPG central heating system, the experts say it will always be cheaper to set the timer so the hot water comes on only when required. However, if you use an electrical immersion heater and have an Economy 7 or 10 tariff, it's cheaper to heat your water during the night. Make sure your tank is well insulated to prevent it cooling during the day. If you have an electric immersion heater and are on a standard tariff, set the timer to come on for an hour before will need water, such as for morning showers or washing up, then just when needed.
A smart meter will save money
No. All smart meters do is show you much power you are using and send this information to your energy supplier so you get accurate bills. Having a smart meter does not means your energy costs higher or that you will have to change your tariff. However, they can help you identify ways to save energy via the in-home display that comes with your smart meter.
Heaters are the cheapest way to heat a room
Usually, it's best to use your central heating to heat your home, especially if you have gas central heating, according to the Energy Saving Trust. Electricity is much more expensive than gas, so using electric heaters can ramp up your energy bills. If you want to use an electric heater, choose carefully. Halogen heaters are directional and once on, you feel the heat instantly. However, as soon as you turn them off, the heat quickly disappears. Convection heaters, electric panel heaters or free-standing electric radiators work by heating the air around them. They take time to heat a room, but once turned off the heat lingers.
An immersion heater is cheaper to heat water than oil-fired central heating
Generally, using oil for hot water is cheaper, owing to the higher average cost of electricity. However, if you're able to use a lower-rate electricity tariff such as Economy 7, it can work out more cost-effective. This is also dependent on the efficiency of your central heating system.
A combi boiler cheaper to run than a standard boiler with a hot water tank
It can be, but it depends on your lifestyle, according to The Energy Saving Trust. With a standard boiler, water is heated and stored in a hot water tank for when you need it. With a combi boiler, you don't have a hot water tank and instead water is heated up instantly when you turn on the hot tap.
If your household doesn't use too much water, combi boilers can be more efficient, as they don't leave water sitting in a tank losing heat. But combi boilers tend to be less efficient at heating water, so if you're a large household it might be cheaper to have a standard boiler with a well-insulated tank.
It's cheaper to leave the heating on low all day
And finally, the age-old debate that takes place in just about every family at some point. And not even the experts can agree. According to experts at the Energy Saving Trust , the idea it's cheaper to leave the heating on low all day is a myth. Having the heating on only when you need it is, in the long run, the best way to save energy, and therefore money. The Trust's theory is a certain amount of energy is constantly leaking out of your home, so if you're keeping the heating on all day you're losing energy all day. However, some specialists disagree, saying that turning the heating on and off means condensation collects within the walls. This condensation can help conduct heat outside the home, they say – meaning you leak heat more quickly and so will use more energy as a result.
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