UK households urged to 'move their sofa' before end of December

UK households have been warned to move their sofas before January - as a new Ofgem price cap kicks in. Matthew Jenkins, of My Job Quote, has shared that there are a few tricks to reduce spending in your home ahead of the £21 uplift in bills in January.

Matthew explained that a modern boiler isn't only cheaper in the long run, but it's also better for the planet. He told publication SAGA : “If your boiler is over 10 years old, you may want to consider investing in a new highly-efficient model."

However, if a new boiler is too much of an expense to pay right now, you could find ways to insulate it. “This can help to make your boiler work more efficiently by preventing heat loss," he said, in a message to British Gas, Ovo, EDF, E On, Octopus customers.

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He said: "Consider investing in some thick blankets and warm clothes. These are usually extremely cheap to run, making them a great way to stay warm while keeping your energy bills down." He said: “Keeping your radiators clean can help to ensure they are working properly and can improve the amount of heat that they give off."

He suggested: “Cleaning the entire radiator, including the space between the fins, can help to improve the circulation, allowing your radiator to radiate more heat." The heating expert also warned over the importance of keeping your furniture away from your radiator, where possible, so that the "warm air has somewhere to go."

“A shelf above the radiator can help to reflect the heat back out into the room,” he said. “It can also prevent heat from rising and becoming lost up in the ceiling. Instead, the warm air will be pushed out into the room.” He continued: “They are fitted behind the radiator and help to ensure that heat isn’t wasted by passing through the wall behind the radiator.

"Instead, these handy devices ensure that as much heat as possible is reflected back into the room.”