Summer is a great time of the year to make changes that will impact your monthly budgets and according to experts, there are some things we should be doing to avoid big future payments.

This week in Scotland, it is set to be a scorcher with temperatures hitting 24 degrees and this will no doubt mean more time outside in the sun and less time thinking about central heating.

The good news is that by turning our thermostats down by even one degree we are saving around £80 on our annual bill, but we could see other bills rise as appliances work extra hard to cool us down.

BoilerPlanUk.com and BestHeating have put together a list of tips to get us thinking about where we can save money in our homes and how we can maintain what we have.

Keep switching your boiler on to avoid paying thousands for a new one

This might be something you didn’t think of but you need to check on your boiler in warmer weather, it’s common for boilers to seize up when they aren’t being used regularly.

We recommend turning your heating on for 10-15 minutes a week, this way you’ll notice if any repairs are needed before the colder months.

New boilers can start from around £1,500 so best to check them, so you don’t have to fork out for a new one.

Change radiators

Andrew Collinge, Heating Product Manager at BestHeating has said updating and replacing your radiators could help save £135 a year on our energy bills.

Modern radiators can be up to 50% more efficient than those installed 20 years ago, meaning that over time the benefits will outweigh the cost of buying a new one in the amount saved in energy bills.

Savings can be found from new radiators using around 24% lower water content when heating themselves up, resulting in a reduction of more than 10% on your bills.

The average energy bill was £1,289 in 2019 which would result in people saving around £135 a year.

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Move your fridge and freezers away from direct sunlight

This may sound odd, but you need to make sure your fridge and freezers aren’t in areas with direct sunlight or in a room that gets very hot – then they don’t have to work so hard, and therefore your saving on your bills.

This is also the case for any outdoor fridges, make sure you keep them in a cool area to avoid overworking and costing you more.

Turn your fans counter-clockwise

If you have ceiling fans or desk fans, a good idea is to turn them counter-clockwise which pushes air downward and creates a stronger draft – keeping you cooler for longer.

Check your insulation

The correct insulation in your loft and cavity walls can keep your home cool in the summer.

It works by keeping warm air out during a heatwave, as well as being prepared for keeping the warm air in during winter months, an energy-efficient investment all year round.

Use your windows to trap air

If you are struggling with the heat, sometimes smaller plug-in fans can actually circulate hot air, as well as them costing on energy to run.

So, the best thing you can do is keep your windows open as wide as possible to let enough air in.

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