Households urged to use crisp packets for heating this winter | UK | News
Winter is coming and as temperatures drop, so do our bills.
Households spend hundreds, sometimes thousands, of pounds on heating in winter, and energy bills remain stubbornly high. In fact, energy bills are on average a staggering 50% higher than they were five years ago.
With such a rapid rise in such a short period of time, it’s no surprise that many people are turning to unconventional solutions to the cost of life’s crisis and finding unconventional ways to keep their energy bills as low as possible.
A tip shared by heating experts in the past involved using aluminum or reflective foil behind radiators. Or failing that, just use net packages.
Mark McShane, heating expert at Boiler Cover UK, says this ‘simple but effective’ method will increase the efficiency of your radiator, meaning you won’t need to run it for longer and will cost less on your heating bills.
He said: “By placing reflective material, such as an empty crisp packet, behind your radiators, you can reflect heat back into your room rather than allowing it to escape through the walls. This is an easy and cost-effective way to get the most out of your heating system.”
To use this method, cut and clean an empty crisp packet, then attach it to the wall behind your radiator using double-sided tape. The reflective surface helps direct more heat back into the room, allowing you to feel warmer without increasing your energy use.
This is the same method as the ‘foil trick’, but it’s even cheaper than using foil because you can use empty packets you already have at home and save even more money.
Another tip includes using bubble wrap to insulate the oven door and your windows.
He added: “Leaving the oven door open after cooking allows residual heat to warm your kitchen, and using bubble wrap on windows can act as an insulator and reduce heat loss.”
