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Energy saving myths that are costing you money

Don't be caught out and spend more on bills than you need to

Energy saving myths that are costing you money

Across the country many of us are trying to spend less on heating our homes while still staying warm. Sadly, a lot of energy-saving tactics are actually nonsense and could even end up leaving you more out of pocket.

We’ve been taking a look at some of the energy saving myths that could end up costing you more…

1)   Turning down the radiators will save cash

Heating your home less is a good idea for keeping the bills down, as long as you can keep warm enough and you’re not vulnerable to cooler temperatures. But turning the radiators down makes no difference unless you also turn the thermostat down; if that is set to 21 degrees then the boiler will keep going until the room temperature reaches that number – it just takes longer because the radiators have a lower output.

Having said that, there’s no reason to heat rooms you aren’t using, so feel free to turn individual radiators down in empty rooms as long as the thermostat isn’t fitted there.

2)    It’s cheaper to heat one room with an electric fire

You might think it’s cheaper to huddle by an electric or gas fire in one room, and let the rest of the house get as cold as it likes. Sadly, this can often be untrue.

Electricity and bottled gas are both far more expensive per unit than mains gas, according to the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE). It says: "Electric fan heaters and portable gas fires are two of the biggest energy guzzlers, and if you have them on for a matter of hours then it’s likely to be cheaper just to turn on your central heating with the radiators on a low setting in the rooms you’re not using."

Plus, heating the whole house means it’s not so dreadfully cold when you have to walk to the kettle.

3)    You should leave the hot water on all the time

Plenty of people believe that it’s cheaper to leave the hot water on all the time rather than turning it on and off. The theory is that heating water up each time you need it will cost more than keeping it constantly warmed.

However, this simply isn’t true. In fact, your boiler heats the hot water that is then stored in a tank. As long as your tank has a decent layer of insulation, it will keep the water hot all day and doesn’t need re-heating.

And most washing machines, dishwashers and electric showers heat their own water so there’s no need to turn the hot water on when using them – it’s just burning money.

4)    It’s cheaper to run appliances at night

Unfortunately, this is only true for customers on an Economy 7 tariff  - on all other price plans it makes no difference at all.

5)    Insulation will make the house damp

It’s common to hear people say they don’t want cavity wall insulation or other retro-fitted insulation treatments as the house has to be able to breathe. Too much insulation, so the theory goes, will cause dampness.

However, this is far from the case. “For most people, this isn’t true. Cavity wall insulation is much more likely to solve problems of damp caused by condensation, because the walls will be less cold," according to information from the CSE.

Cavity wall insulation is well worth getting, as it will keep your home warm and reduce your heating bills.

6)    It’s fine to store stuff in my loft

If you’ve insulated your loft but then chucked a hundred boxes on top of that insulation, you may think that’s fine. In fact, you may think that it is even adding an additional layer of insulation and so keeping your home warmer. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

Insulating foam traps tiny pockets of air, which are excellent at trapping heat. But as you chuck stuff on top of the foam it squashes it and so there are fewer little air pockets. Ideally, set aside a small section of loft for storage and put joists in to keep the boxes off the insulation.

7)    Black radiators save energy

There’s a theory that radiators painted a matt black are better at radiating heat than those finished in white gloss. This is true but the difference is minimal, so it’s hardly worth changing the décor of your entire house just so you can have black radiators, according to information from British Gas.

Having said that, matt black radiators do sound kind of cool…

8)    It’s better to leave appliances on than switch them on and off

Many people believe it is cheaper to leave a computer or TV on rather than regularly turning it on and then powering it back up. Some people even believe that is true for lights. This is plain old wrong - when you leave a room you should turn off appliances and lights. And remember that leaving items on standby is a waste of energy and money.


Did you believe any of these myths? How do you save energy in the home? Have your say using the comments below.