With energy prices still high, keeping your home warm without overspending is a priority for many London households. Our heating engineers share their top tips for reducing heating bills.

1. Get Your Boiler Serviced

A well-maintained boiler runs more efficiently. Annual servicing can improve efficiency by 10-15%, potentially saving £50-£150 per year on gas bills.

What's checked:

Combustion efficiency
Heat exchanger condition
Controls and thermostats
Safety devices

Cost: £80-£120 (pays for itself in savings)

2. Bleed Your Radiators

Air trapped in radiators prevents efficient heating. If radiators are cold at the top but hot at the bottom, they need bleeding.

How to bleed radiators:

Turn off heating and let radiators cool
Use a radiator key to open the bleed valve
Release air until water flows
Close valve and check boiler pressure

Savings: Up to £80/year

3. Install a Smart Thermostat

Smart thermostats like Nest, Hive, or Tado learn your habits and optimise heating schedules.

Benefits:

Heat only when needed
Control remotely via app
Zone heating (some models)
Weather compensation

Cost: £150-£250 installed

Savings: £100-£180/year

4. Use Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs)

TRVs let you control individual room temperatures. No need to heat unused rooms to the same level.

Best practice:

Lower settings in hallways and bathrooms
Higher in living areas
Turn off in unused rooms
Don't cover with curtains

Cost: £15-£30 per radiator

Savings: £50-£75/year

5. Turn Down Your Thermostat

Reducing your thermostat by just 1°C can cut heating bills by 10%.

Comfortable temperatures:

Living areas: 18-21°C
Bedrooms: 16-18°C
Hallways: 15-16°C

Most people won't notice 1°C difference.

Savings: £60-£100/year

6. Improve Insulation

Heat loss through walls, roof, and floors significantly impacts bills.

Quick wins:

Loft insulation top-up: £300-£500
Draught proofing: £100-£200
Radiator reflector panels: £20-£40
Curtain linings: £50-£100

Savings: £150-£300/year (depending on improvements)

7. Use Heating Timers Effectively

Only heat your home when needed.

Optimal scheduling:

Start heating 30 minutes before waking
Reduce during work hours
Boost for evening/returning home
Lower overnight

Tip: Set heating to come on before energy peak times (4-7pm) when some tariffs are higher.

Savings: £50-£100/year

8. Consider a Power Flush

If your radiators take ages to warm up or have cold spots, sludge buildup may be reducing efficiency.

Signs you need a power flush:

Cold spots on radiators
Slow warm-up times
Noisy boiler or pump
Discoloured water when bleeding

Cost: £350-£500

Savings: £100-£200/year (plus preventing boiler damage)

9. Check for Draughts

Draughts can account for 15-20% of heat loss.

Common draught sources:

Letterboxes
Keyholes
Cat flaps
Gaps around doors and windows
Fireplace chimneys

Solutions:

Draught excluders
Letterbox brushes
Chimney balloons
Silicone sealant for gaps

Savings: £50-£100/year

10. Upgrade Your Boiler

If your boiler is over 10-15 years old, a new A-rated condensing boiler could significantly reduce bills.

Old vs New Boiler Efficiency:

Boiler Age	Efficiency	Annual Cost (avg home)
15+ years	60-70%	£1,200-£1,400
10-15 years	70-80%	£1,000-£1,200
New A-rated	90-94%	£800-£900

Cost: £2,000-£3,500 installed

Savings: £200-£400/year

Bonus Tips

Close doors between rooms to keep heat where you need it
Let sunshine in during the day, close curtains at dusk
Move furniture away from radiators for better heat circulation
Layer up before turning up the heating
Hot water bottle can reduce nighttime heating needs

Need Help?

For boiler servicing, power flushes, smart thermostat installation, or advice on improving your heating efficiency, call Aza & Sons on 07955014805.

Our Gas Safe registered engineers serve London, Essex, Cambridge, and East Anglia.

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