Five 'hotspots' in UK homes costing UK households £1,079 each

Five 'hotspots' in UK homes costing UK households £1,079 each
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Five home heat loss hotspots adding THOUSANDS to energy bills have been revealed. As the energy price cap continues to be sky-high for British Gas, OVO, EDF, EON and Octopus customers, UK households have been warned after Christmas.

The Sun spoke to Nicholas Auckland, heating and energy expert at Trade Radiators who said boilers can mean £16 is wasted per year. He explained: "Older boilers also release heat from the boiler casing instead of using it all to heat the water inside the boiler.

"While this might warm up the area in very close proximity to the boiler, it'll mainly just heat up the casing and mean that you need to spend more on energy to get the desired temperature you want." Chimneys, meanwhile, can cause £78 loss per year.

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Nicholas said the balloon keeps the warm air from your home further inside your home, while a cap will "still let the warm air travel up the chimney". Doors and windows can lead to a £195 loss per year, it has also been warned.

Lofts, meanwhile, cause a £745 loss per year. Figures from Trade Radiators say that if a loft is very poorly insulated, it can cause 25% of total heat loss in a home, which works out at roughly £195 a year in gas heating costs. This rises to £745 per year for electrically heated homes.

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Nicholas said these errors can also allow draughts to "enter the loft and cool air from the loft to escape into the rest of the house". "This can encourage heating systems to work harder, which will increase energy bills," he added.

Nicholas added: "Proper loft insulation can cut heat loss by up to 80%, which is a saving of up to £200 per year. However, it can be expensive to remove and restore effective loft insulation, but worth it in the long run."

Airing cupboards results in a £40 loss per year, too. "These can cause 5% heat loss, which is roughly £40 per year," he shared.