Households across the UK are losing nearly £1,500 annually due to simple but costly energy mistakes, according to a leading renewable energy consultant.
Customers of major suppliers like British Gas, OVO, EDF, EON, and Octopus are being urged to check their homes after Gareth Whitehill of Grant Store identified seven common errors that significantly drive up heating costs.
The Costly Household Errors
"We see the same faults time and again," Mr Whitehill explained. "From inefficient boilers to wrongly positioned thermostats, these small errors add up to hundreds of pounds a year in wasted energy. With prices edging higher again, families can't afford to ignore them."
The research reveals that together, addressing these seven issues could save the average household around £1,480 every year.
Top Money-Saving Changes
Booking an annual boiler service is crucial, as skipping this can reduce efficiency by 15%, wasting approximately £260 annually in extra gas. "A service costs less than half of that wasted amount," Mr Whitehill noted.
Checking thermostat placement could save about £175 yearly. A poorly positioned thermostat can increase bills by around 10%. "Moving the thermostat to a central, neutral location helps the system read the true temperature," he advised.
Flushing radiators to remove sludge represents one of the biggest potential savings. "We've seen homes lose 20-25% efficiency due to sludge in radiators," said Mr Whitehill. "For an average family, that's nearly £400 a year wasted until the system is professionally flushed."
Additional Efficiency Improvements
Other significant savings include fixing dripping hot taps (saving £70 yearly), ensuring boilers are correctly sized (saving £175 annually), balancing heating systems (saving £150-£200), and updating timer settings (saving up to £250).
Mr Whitehill emphasised that rebalancing heating systems allows most households to turn their thermostat down by one or two degrees, providing immediate savings. Similarly, ensuring boilers are properly specified during installation prevents annual overspending of £150-£200.
With energy prices remaining high, these simple checks and adjustments could provide substantial financial relief for families struggling with household bills this winter.
