Households told to avoid radiator mistake this winter that racks up bills | Personal Finance | Finance

Households across the UK are being urged to avoid a common radiator mistake this winter that can rack up energy bills.

While heating your home in winter can be an expensive business, particularly after Ofgem increased its energy price cap by 2% in October, affecting more than seven million households on standard energy tariffs. The increase means the average energy bill for households in England, Scotland and Wales paying by direct debit for gas and electricity is now £1,755, up from £1,720. But the price cap sets the maximum rate per unit and standing charge that customers can be charged by suppliers for their energy use – not the total bill, so those who use more energy ultimately pay more.

While the price cap doesn’t affect households on fixed tariffs, it still pays to cut costs where you can and avoiding drying clothes on radiators during the colder months is one easy way to do this.

Drying clothes at this time of the year can be a tricky business, with the cold and often wet weather meaning laundry often has to be hung up indoors.

While radiators help to speed up the drying process, if clothes are placed directly onto them this traps the heat and makes your heating less efficient as a result. But not only that, it can also have costly implications on your energy bill as it forces your boiler to work harder and for longer to maintain the desired room temperature, resulting in greater expense.

Experts at Only Radiators explain: “When you’re drying clothes on a radiator, you’re really just blocking the radiator from heating the room. The plug – your wet clothing – gets a huge amount of heat but your room stays cold.

“Your radiator, even without a thermostatic valve, is trying to reach a certain temperature. Yet you’re plugging the upstream heat of your whole system. Your boiler then has to struggle to heat the room using a radiator whose convection cycle is blocked.

“Your radiator is rendered completely inefficient and it’s costing you mega-bucks. The central heating hates it and your bank account isn’t any better off either.”

Putting damp clothes directly on radiators can also cause high humidity in your home, condensation on your windows, and even cause damage to the radiator itself. The excess humidity in the air can also lead to health problems as it creates an ideal environment for mould and mildew to thrive.

Experts at Radiators Direct said: “Increased indoor humidity from drying clothes on radiators often leads to condensation on windows and walls. This damp environment is a perfect breeding ground for mould and mildew, which can damage your home and pose serious health risks.

“Prolonged exposure to mould spores can irritate the respiratory system and worsen conditions such as eczema. Over time, this can lead to costly repairs to remove mould and restore affected surfaces.”

To avoid this, experts recommend drying your clothes on an airer instead – as these allow airflow – and to place them in a warm, well-ventilated part of your home. You can also make use of heated towel rails as these also provide good airflow and will help to reduce the drying time, or wrap wet clothes inside a dry towel to soak up some of the excess water before hanging them up, as this will help get your laundry dry much faster.

Experts at UK Radiators add: “While it may seem convenient to dry your clothes on a radiator, it’s not a recommended practice due to the potential health risks, including mould growth. Additionally, it can lead to higher energy bills as radiators are designed for room heating, not clothes drying.

“Instead, consider using towel rail radiators or traditional drying racks, which provide better airflow and efficient drying without compromising your health or increasing energy consumption.”