British Gas, OVO, EDF, EON and Octopus customers have been urged not to believe five myths. Energy bills could be rising if customers wrongly believe five myths doing the rounds, it has been warned in the wake of Christmas.
“A lot of people have misplaced ideas about heating, which might be making their homes less energy and cost-efficient to heat,” says Llewellyn Kinch, an energy expert and CEO at MakeMyHouseGreen, in the wake of the myths being peddled.
Mr Kinch spoke out as the new price cap hits, saying: “The issue often becomes more prevalent during winter, when heat is provided at a necessary premium and households desperately look for any way to cut down on their bills.”
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One particularly myth is that dialling up the thermostat heats the home faster. “Since these systems work at a constant rate, you can do nothing to make the process faster, so only set the thermostat to the desired temperature,” says Llewellyn.
Another myth is that it’s cheaper to leave the heating on low all day than to turn it on and off and that electric heaters are more efficient than central heating. “However, they’ll cost more if used as the primary heat source,” warns Llewellyn.
Another myth is heat is only lost through windows and doors. “Windows and doors are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to efficiently sealing your home. Heat can be lost in many ways, so be sure to evaluate your entire space and not just windows and doors,” adds Llewellyn.
The fifth and final myth is that ceiling fans are only useful in the summer. “During the winter, set the fan to rotate clockwise at a low speed. This creates a gentle updraft, drawing cooler air from below upward, and pushing the warm air that has risen to the ceiling gently down into the room. This makes sure none of that warmth is wasted,” explains Llewellyn.