With temperatures remaining low across the UK, it’s clear that colder weather is here to stay for a little while longer.
However, many of are looking to use as little energy as we can heating our homes, as we try and minimise the impact of the Ofgem price cap rise.
The latest forecast from Cornwall Insight suggests that the energy price cap could rise to £1,762 a year for a typical dual fuel consumer, a 1% increase from the cap of £1,738 that came into effect on January 1.
To combat the increase in costs, experts from Hiatt Hardware have shared their top tips for bleeding radiators, with a 60p radiator key potentially cutting your bills by up to 20 per cent.
Ryan Calvery, expert from the brand, said: “Bleeding your radiator is essential if you want maximum efficiency from your radiator, and it’s important that you carry out a routine check before we hit winter to ensure its working at its best.
“If you have found that your radiators are taking longer than normal to heat up or make odd gargling noises, you could have trapped air in your unit.
“The quickest way to check if air has entered your heating system is to turn your central heating on and feel your radiator, if it is warm at the bottom but cold at the top this is generally a sign that air is present.
Recommended Reading:
- Everything you need to know the Ofgem Energy Price Cap
- This is when you should turn your heating on this year
- 4 easy ways to save £300 on your energy bills revealed as price cap set to rise
“Bleeding your radiators will increase their efficiency overall and even save you a small amount on your heating bill, as you will be using less energy to compensate for the trapped air.”
How to bleed your radiators
Step 1: Gather up the tools you’ll need
The first step is to source all of the tools that you’ll need to complete the job.
These are likely to include…
- A radiator bleed key
- An old towel
Step 2: Make sure the heating is turned off
It’s important to do this before you start, as you don’t want any scalding water to drip onto your hands during the next steps. If you’ve recently had the heating on, wait at least two hours for everything to cool down.
Step 3: Put down a towel
Put a towel down under your radiator to collect any water that may drip out, or you can use a bucket if you prefer.
Step 4: Turn the valve
Use your radiator key to turn the valve. This is usually located in one of the corners.
You will hear trapped air escaping – it will make a hissing sound.
Step 4: Wait until you see liquid
Keep the valve open until the hissing stops and you start to see water dripping out, then tighten it up again
Step 5: Test it
Put your heating on for a few minutes to test if your efforts have paid off. Your radiators should be warm throughout, with no cold patches.
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