FEATURE: HEATING & INSULATION
Bleed your radiators Not bleeding your radiators is one of the biggest causes of poor performance in heating due to the air build-up in the system when the heating is off.
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in front of radiators - especially heat-absorbing ones like sofas. Rob says: “You end up paying to heat the back of your sofa, not the room. An unobstructed radiator will always be better at heating a room than one with furniture in front of it.”
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on an effective automatic timer system.
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Rob says: “If you’re out for most of the day, make sure your home isn’t being heated until you’re back.”
Heat the home only when necessary Ensure you have your heating
TOP TIPS TO BOOST ENERGY EFFICIENCY THIS WINTER
Rob says: “Air in the radiators stops the water from filling them up which means they aren’t using their full capacity. The room will often never reach the desired temperature, so your thermostat will never switch the boiler off.”
Rejig your furniture configuration Don’t put large bulky furniture
Getting the best out of domestic central heating should be every household’s aim. A warm home shouldn’t come at the cost of sky-high energy bills. Some small tweaks to a heating system will improve its efficiency and save homeowner’s cash. Here Rob Nezard, MD of
UKRadiators.com shares his top eight tips on how to make heating systems more efficient this winter that can be passed onto customers.
Fix leaky radiators Make sure your radiators and heating system are regularly maintained, checked and repaired if necessary.
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Rob says: “If something is leaking or not working properly, it’s almost certainly going to be wasting your money on your energy bills.”
Making the most out of sunlight can help you save on heating and lighting. Opening your blinds or curtains during the day will let you maximise the energy and warmth coming in from natural light.
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Drayton, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of heating controls, has unveiled its new state-of- the-art mobile training van that will embark on a tour across the country this year.
The purpose-built van will offer valuable training opportunities on Drayton’s wide range of products, including the best-selling Digistat range, popular valves range and Wiser smart heating control. With all of this and more stocked on board with interactive displays, installers can catch live product
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Make the most out of your tariff
If you are on an Economy 7 or
Keep curtains open during the day
Economy 10 electricity tariff, you will get cheaper electricity at night than during the day. This means you could save money by only turning on some appliances, such as a washing machine, at night.
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Keep warm air in We spend money to heat our homes. When the air inside gets warm, it becomes lighter and wants to float away, just like a hot air balloon. And as that warm air escapes, it leaves an empty space behind. This empty space tries to suck in the cold air from outside. Rob says: “Good insulation slows down how quickly the warm air escapes. We can’t completely stop it from leaving, but we want to keep it inside for as long as possible since we’ve already paid
DRAYTON INVESTS IN NEW TRAINING VAN AHEAD OF NATIONWIDE TOUR
demonstrations from Drayton’s technical experts, who will be on hand to provide guidance on products, support with queries and offer best-practice advice for industry professionals visiting the training van. Plus, there will be the opportunity for installers to take part in competitions and other exciting initiatives at merchants up and down the UK.
Bringing this mobile educational
facility, along with its innovative products, directly to merchants reinforces Drayton’s commitment to
upholding its reputation of quality, reliability and technical excellence, ensuring that professionals have access to top-of-the-range products that enable them to carry out high- quality installations. Clare Weller, Trade Marketing Manager at Drayton, comments: “We’re thrilled to have finally revealed Drayton’s brand-new training van, which will allow us to conveniently take our products and expertise directly to the door of merchants that provide our products to heating engineers.
“By coming directly to them, it
provides installers with the ideal opportunity to get a thorough understanding about the range of high performing products Drayton has to offer, as well as seeing them in action first hand.” Discover more about Drayton and its extensive range of products by visiting: www.draytoncontrols.
co.uk
AUGUST 2025 DIY WEEK 11 to heat it up.
“Of course, every time you open a door, you let some of that warm air escape. That’s why it’s important to open and close doors quickly to minimise heat loss.”
8 Keep cold air out
Sounds obvious, but if you have cold air getting into your house, then it will cost more to keep it at the desired temperature. Invest in low-cost forms of insulation, such as draught excluders and window seals, to keep as much cold air out of the home as possible.
Rob says: “Insulation doesn’t have to be expensive. Repurposing old quilts and blankets in the loft to act as insulation will help keep some heat in.”
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