Does painting your radiator black reduce energy bills? Do pets prefer a warm house? Expert dispels common heating myths

Many people follow common tips they believe will save them money; 42 per cent think that turning the thermostat up when it is cold outside will help.

Many believe painting your radiator black will decrease your energy bills and 60 per cent think their pets want a warm house.

With the temperature set to plummet below zero, it is crucial to understand how to keep energy bills low.

After 70 per cent stated they believe that they can correctly identify heating myths, John Lawless, a heating expert at the supplier BestHeating, exposes the truth about these myths.

1. You should turn the heating up when it’s cold outside

In a recent BestHeating poll, 42 per cent said that they turn their thermostat up when it’s cold outside, but this myth is false as the thermostat is there to maintain the internal temperature, regardless of the weather.

Also, turning up the thermostat doesn’t help heat a room quicker, as this only makes the room warmer at the same speed. It will in fact only increase your energy bill.

2. Pets prefer a warm house

More than a fifth of Brits set their temperatures higher when they are not at home and at night to look after their pets.

60 percent believe their pets want this, but this isn’t true. Large animals with thick coats tend to prefer lower temperatures whilst only hairless small cats and dogs prefer a warmer home.

According to the expert, you should always provide your pet with a soft, warm bed, and open the curtains so that the sun shines through, giving them exposure to the sun.

3. It is cheaper to use an electric heater to heat the house instead of a radiator

Central heating is a lot cheaper to use than an electric heater; for every unit of heat used by an electric heater, it will cost you around three times as much as a unit of heat from one of your radiators.

4. Painting your radiators black can reduce your energy bills

This is a common myth based on the theory that black absorbs heat quicker and so will transfer heat out at a faster rate than white or other coloured radiators - this is false.

It’s more important to insulate your walls to prevent heat leaking out of your home; an idea suggested by Mr Lawless is to put reflective panels behind radiators. These will help cut energy use by reflecting heat from the radiator back into the room, which will prevent an escape through external walls.

5. It is better to have a big boiler than a small one

Two-fifths believe this is true and the size of a boiler matters but it must be in relation to the size of the house - this is false.

Having a huge boiler in a regular sized house will in fact make you waste money on your bills. The expert encourages people to make sure they understand how their boiler works as a recent BestHeating survey revealed that 62 per cent of Brits don’t know what the valves on a radiator or boiler do.

The amount of heat you receive from the boiler is dependent on the size of your radiators, which means that if you have a high output boiler but small radiators, it is not going to have any effect.

Finding the correct sized boiler that doesn’t work too hard and doesn’t have too much to give out will save you more on energy and therefore it is the cheapest way.

Mr Lawless said: “Bills are rising sharply for many this winter and it is vital that those who follow misconceptions around heating know what they are doing wrong so that they can save as much money as possible and set the thermostat at the correct temperature.

“We hope that we have debunked many major myths for people across the country and provided a clearer indication of how to minimise the amount of energy used whilst protecting their radiator, bank account and most importantly their pets.”