Turning Your Radiators Off Could Be Costing You Money

Shutting off your radiators and heaters totally may actually increase your bills rather than decreasing them - By turning off the radiator in a room, you will save energy, buy you may not necessarily save money. It all comes down to the age of your boiler. If your household is using an older, non-condensing boiler (sold before 2005) then you can turn off your radiators and save some money. However if you have a modern, condensing boiler or a heat pump it’s a different story altogether

Sean Richardson, Plumbing expert at Complete Plumbing Solutions

Modern condensing boilers work far more efficiently at lower flow temperatures than older models, so instead of heat being wasted and jettisoned out your flue pipe it’s reused and sent back into your central heating system. If you want to figure out what type of boiler you have, there’s a few simple tells – Firstly if your flue pipe is made of PVC or plastic, it’s a condensing unit. All condensing boilers have a drain pipe attached also, this is usually made of plastic also so if you see this, you’ve got a condenser.”

Sean Richardson, Plumbing expert at Complete Plumbing Solutions

With these modern boilers it all comes down to efficiency – By turning off a radiator in your home you’re creating a break in the system, which decreases the efficiency. Yes, your boiler will not need as much energy, but the efficiency is way lower which effectively cancels out any savings you may think you’ll make and in some cases, may even cost you more.

Sean Richardson, Plumbing expert at Complete Plumbing Solutions

So even if you’re not using a room, you still want heat flowing through those radiators or else your other radiators will have to work harder to get up to temperature. Turn down the TRV on your radiator by half or even a full digit as this will lower the temperature in the unused room whilst still allow good flow.

Sean Richardson, Plumbing expert at Complete Plumbing Solutions

Depending on the type of cover you have over your radiator, you may be costing yourself some money on your bills. Radiators work by heating the air around them, which is then circulated freely into the room, if your cover obstructs this airflow your radiator is less efficient and will take that bit longer to heat up the space.

Sean Richardson, Plumbing expert at Complete Plumbing Solutions

The material used to construct the cover plays a significant role in how heat is distributed. Covers that are constructed from wood or even MDF can reduce the efficiency of a radiator if not properly ventilated as it may trap heat behind the cover. It’s also so important that the covers are properly sized so as to ensure they don’t encase the radiator, which will block the heat from escaping.

Sean Richardson, Plumbing expert at Complete Plumbing Solutions

This is just a no all around – If you throw wet clothes on top of your radiator you’re not allowing the warm air to escape and heat the room properly, which means your boiler will have to work harder and ultimately this will be reflected on your bill at the end of the month. Then there’s the health aspect, the moisture from the clothes is evaporated into the air which creates condensation, which in turn can lead to damp and mould growth, especially if the room is poorly ventilated.

Sean Richardson, Plumbing expert at Complete Plumbing Solutions