Your radiators could be stealthily driving up your energy costs.
As we strive to remain warm during the chilly winter months, none of us want to see our energy bills soar. Yet, many homeowners are unaware their radiators may be part of the problem. Those small dials on the base of each radiator, often ignored or misunderstood, play a crucial role in your home’s heating efficiency and your bills.
A DIY expert now highlighted how an incorrectly set dial can lead to inefficiencies and bump up the cost of your energy usage. The dial is known as a thermostatic valve, which regulates the entry of hot water into your radiator.
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The expert, Jasmine, provided insight in a viral video on TikTok. In it, she explained the numbers on the valve relate to the temperature that triggers hot water to enter the radiator, with lower figures meaning lower temperatures.
While your main boiler thermostat controls overall warmth, Jasmine emphasised that radiator valves offer superior management of individual room temperatures.
She advised: “Did you know that TRV’s, or thermostatic valves on radiators actually control the temperature of your rooms better than a main boiler thermostat? Each number represents the room temperature at which it will start letting in hot water to warm up the room.
“0 means off. The radiator is not working, and there’s no water flowing through. The star [or frost setting] is seven degrees, which means if the room is lower than seven degrees, the water will turn on and start flowing. 1 is 10 degrees Celsius, 2 is 15 degrees Celsius, 3 is 20 degrees, 4 is 25 degrees, 5 is 30 degrees, and 6 is 35 degrees. If you’re turning it up this high, you’re basically telling your radiator not to stop letting in hot water until the room reaches a very high temperature, which is not very energy efficient.
“For the rooms you use often, decide what temperature is comfortable and set the TRV accordingly – but turning them down will save you money and make your home more efficient. For rooms you rarely use, try number one. If you’re away, turn them to the frost setting.”
Using the frost setting if you’re on holiday means your radiators will only come on if the temperature drops below seven degrees, which will stop your pipes from freezing without wasting too much energy when you’re not at home.
The advice was backed by a boiler expert in the comments, who advised having the dial set no lower than three when you’re not away. He said: “Gas man here, general rule of thumb, three or above. Any lower than that renders the radiator useless.”
Other commenters expressed their gratitude to Jasmine for her useful advice, although some were astonished the purpose of the dials wasn’t common knowledge. A group of users also said they never turn their dials below five, while others stated they’d rather wear extra layers than turn the heating on.
One commenter remarked: “Why was I never told this? I’ve always just kept mine on three. Thank you!” Another chimed in with: “So helpful! I literally thought six meant the radiator would be hotter.”