News

Dec 09, 2023

I'm a plumber

WITH energy prices skyrocketing, this savvy plumber has shared his best tips on

WITH energy prices skyrocketing, this savvy plumber has shared his best tips on how to save money on heating your homes.

Fraser Hoehle knows some seriously quick-fixes that could dramatically lower your bills, including pressing one simple button.

The energy price guarantee, brought in by the government, means the average household is paying on average of £2,500 for gas and electricity - although the more you use the more you pay.

Scottish boiler expert, Fraser, has been looking out for easily-made mistakes that could see bills shoot up.

The TikTok creator warns his viewers of one very important button on some boilers - the pre-heat button.

"Turn that off," he says. "Because what that'll do is constantly pre-heat your hot water so its ready available even when you're not using it.

"So it's a massive waste."

Boilers often come with pre-heat buttons and involve the system retaining a small amount of hot water for whenever you need to use a shower or the sink.

But, while this means running water will quickly heat up when using it, the boiler still has to retain the hot water even after use.

And this drives up your energy bills.

The plumber's simple fix is accompanied by other useful tips, including ensuring that you make sure your radiator has a thermostat.

"This makes a world of difference," Fraser says.

"A lot of people associate the heat in their home...by how hot the radiator is". However, he says: "it's all to do with how hot the thermostat is reading in your house."

"So if you can, go to your boiler in your house and go to the radiator sign and turn that temperature down to 55°C."

Running the radiators at a lower temperature, Fraser says, will help massively to keep costs lower.

Returning to the thermostat, he advises people to avoid setting heating on a timer as this involves the system having to heat water up and then cool it down.

Instead, he encourages setting the target temperature between 17°C and 19°C. This way "the heating system is already warm so uses much less energy to bump it up." he says.

"And you can have it at a comfortable temperature the whole time."

The Sun also spoke to home insulation and heating expert Dave Raval, chief executive of Loftzone, to find out how you can soften the blow to your pocket.

In order to keep prices down, Dave encourages firstly reducing the temperature on the thermostat.

The average household sets their thermostat at 21C, which Dave says is three degrees higher than the cheapest you could get away with whilst staying comfortable.

Taking on each of his tips could significant help lower costs

In fact, turning down the temperature by just a single degree could save you as much as £100 a year on your bill.

Other easy advice includes using a smart plug to detect "vampire appliances" that drain energy when left on standby or used inefficiently.

"To check for these energy-guzzling appliances, you could use a smart plug - and you'll probably be astonished at the results," says Dave.

Closing your curtains after dark can also be extremely effective at keeping heat in, as can properly insulating your loft to avoid heat escaping.