Five ways to keep your home warm and slash your bills including using £1.50 foil

Energy bills are rising – but thankfully there are cheap ways to lower costs all while still keeping your home warm.

Rising costs of wholesale gas mean energy bills are predicted to rise by 50% to an average of £2,000 a year when the current price cap is raised in April.

The price cap sets a limit on the rates a supplier can charge for each unit of gas and electricity you use.

It is currently set at £1,277 for those on a standard variable tariff after last being reviewed in August 2021.

As well as increasing bills for families, the rising cost of energy has seen more than 20 suppliers go bust since September 2021.

If you’re worried about rising energy bills, the fundamental way to lower your costs is to reduce your energy consumption.

By turning on your heating less, you’re using less power – and your bills will be lower as a result.

We round up cheap ways to help keep your home warm and keep costs down.

Draught excluders – from £2

Draught excluders work by sealing up gaps around doors, windows, or anywhere else where you may have cold air coming in.

The idea is that by stopping the cold coming into your home, your house will stay warmer for longer – reducing the need of having to turn the heating up.

You can use objects you already have around the house to plug up any gaps, such as old towels or clothes you no longer wear.

Or if you want to buy a draught excluder, we found some selling on Etsy from £2 plus £3.90 delivery, or £2.99 plus free delivery on eBay.

Radiator foil – from £1.50

Did you know you can buy special radiator foil that goes behind your radiator? It works by reflecting heat around your home.

It is also simple to install as you just cut it into place and stick it behind an external wall radiator.

We found a roll that measures 500mm by 1.2 metres on sale being sold online at Toolstation for £1.49.

There is also some on sale from £6.60 from Screwfix.

Some people say you can also use regular tin foil behind your radiator but energy experts say there isn’t enough evidence out there to say how effective this is.

Are you worried about affording your energy bills? Let us know: mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk

Thermal curtain lining – from £3.90

Try investing in thermal curtain lining to trap more heat in your home.

If you’re handy with a sewing needle, you can buy the fabric you need from just £3.90 per metre, or Dunelm has curtains already made up for £12.

Not only will this lining keep the heat in, it’ll also help blackout your room for a better night sleep.

Turn your thermostat down – Free

Energy experts at uSwitch suggest turning down your thermostat by just one degree could save you £80 each year on your heating bill.

This is a huge saving for only a tiny difference in the temperature of your home.

Research from the comparison site, first published in November, found two-thirds – or 17.7 million – of households are turning up their thermostats to more than 20°C.

A further 2.7 million households are turning up the heat to 25°C or more.

Bleed your radiator – Free

Make sure you’re getting the most from your central heating by bleeding your radiators at least once a year.

Bleeding your radiator involves getting rid of trapped air inside that causes warm water to stop circulating around your radiator.

To do this, your need a radiator key – which can be found at your nearest DIY store – and a cloth or rag to catch any water.

Use your radiator key to turn the valve at the top of the radiator and you should hear a hissing sound.

Retighten the valve once the hissing stops and only liquid comes out.

Make sure your radiators are off and cool before you start to bleed them.