Millions of UK households are committing a simple radiator error that is silently haemorrhaging money and drastically reducing heating efficiency, experts have warned.
With energy bills remaining stubbornly high, this common oversight is forcing boilers to work overtime, adding an estimated £100-£200 to annual heating costs. The mistake is so widespread that it could be collectively costing Brits billions this winter.
The Invisible Energy Drain in Your Home
The culprit isn't a broken boiler or faulty thermostat. It's far more simple: radiators being blocked by furniture, most commonly sofas and beds pushed directly against them.
This seemingly innocuous act creates a thermal barrier, trapping heat behind the furniture instead of allowing it to circulate freely around the room. The radiator then has to work much longer and harder to achieve the desired temperature, causing a massive spike in energy consumption.
How to Fix It and Slash Your Bills
The solution, thankfully, is both simple and completely free. Heating engineers advise following the 'six-inch rule'.
- Create Space: Pull all furniture, especially upholstered items like sofas and beds, at least six inches away from your radiators.
- Check All Rooms: Conduct a quick audit of every room. This mistake is most common in bedrooms and living rooms where space is limited.
- Feel the Difference: Once cleared, you should immediately feel more heat radiating into the room rather than being absorbed by the furniture.
This allows for proper convection currents, enabling hot air to rise and circulate effectively, heating the room faster and allowing your boiler to switch off sooner.
Beyond the Basics: Maximising Your Radiator's Efficiency
While rearranging your furniture is the most urgent fix, experts recommend a couple of additional steps for peak performance:
- Bleed Your Radiators: If your radiator is cold at the top but warm at the bottom, it needs bleeding to release trapped air, which also inhibits efficiency.
- Consider a Reflector: Placing a reflective panel behind a radiator on an external wall can bounce more heat back into the room, preventing it from escaping through the walls.
This advice comes as the UK continues to grapple with an energy cost crisis, making every penny saved on bills crucial for household budgets. A few minutes of rearranging could be one of the most cost-effective tasks you do all year.
