'I tried Martin Lewis's £11 heating hack and I'm astonished by savings'
A Martin Lewis BBC Podcast viewer has tested out a money-saving hack that it is claimed can help you reduce your heating bills by lowering the temperature on your thermostat
Everyone wants to save money on their energy bills - and Martin Lewis has shared an £11 item that could help your bank account this winter. Wanting to know whether it's worth it, TikTok user Michelle Haslam tried out his recommendation - and is now encouraging others to do so too.
On his BBC Podcast, Martin Lewis advised people to consider installing reflective panels behind radiators to redirect warmth back into the room instead of allowing it to pass through walls to the outside. He said: "Crucially this is on external wall radiators so the heat doesn't escape. If you don't want to pay for those then tin foil can work although it doesn't work quite as well.
"If you've got radiators in rooms that you're not using, go and turn them off before you turn the heating on so you're not wasting cash overheating empty spaces.
"Changing the flow rate on your boiler can cut gas bill by over 9% and you won't notice the change."
Michelle seconded Mr Lewis' points and explained how turning down your thermostat by just one degree can save you a staggering £145 a year on your heating bill.
She said: "I’ve turned my thermostat right down since using them though. So something is working."
Commenting on her post, one user said: "Man, I've not seen foil behind radiators since the 70s." Another user added: "Check Aldi I picked some up from there."
A third user said: "I got 3 x 5 metres on eBay for £12 including delivery." One more user added: "I need some."
Radiator foil can be bought from various in-store and online retailers for around £6 to £15, depending on length.
Sharing other money-saving hacks, Mr Lewis encouraged people to stay away from 'demon appliance' wherever possible.
Expanding on this, he added: "Do you know what the real 'demon appliance' is in most people's houses - the one that you don't want to use because it's really expensive. Tumble dryers.
"You're typically paying up to a quid per load so dry your clothes on an airer outside, to shorten the amount of time you're using your tumble dryer, or avoid using it completely.
"Those who have de-humidifiers those can take some of the moisture out of it. It's less wattage than a tumble dryer so it can be more cost effective."