In some houses, turning off the heaters may actually "drive up" bills

Heating bills are set to jump this winter and households across Ireland are doing all they can to cut costs. Volvo Excavator Radiator

The Irish government has announced a range of measures to help offset the soaring prices amid the cost-of-living crisis with three energy credits worth €200 to be distributed over the winter months.

Meanwhile, many people are closely watching their energy use and trying to reduce their energy bills by keeping the heating on for shorter bursts and turning off radiators in unused rooms.

READ MORE : Woman who has gone without central heating for a year reveals top tips to stay warm for less

However, one heating expert has warned that shutting down the heaters may actually "drive up" bills, the Express.co.uk reports.

This is because they could use more energy to heat back up when turned on again.

Ben Price, founder of Heatable, explained: “Turning off your heating in unused rooms by turning the radiator’s thermostatic radiator valve to zero or off can save you energy.

"But it could also cost you more money because ultimately they’re always directly related. However, the caveat to this is that it depends on the age of your current boiler.

“If your boiler is an old G-rated and non-condensing boiler (typically sold before 2005), you will likely save money by turning off unused radiators.

“However, if you have a modern condensing boiler, they operate more efficiently at lower flow temperatures.”

Ben said households can identify if they have a modern condensing boiler by checking if there is a wipe pipe exiting from the boiler underneath. He added: "This is all due to the way modern condensing boiler technology works.

"Instead of heat being wasted and sent out by your flue pipe, it is recycled back into your central heating system. Since modern boilers operate at lower flower temperatures, reducing the flow temperature is an easy way to increase the efficiency of your heating."

According to the expert, there are two ways to achieve this. This includes by using a modulating thermostat and by increasing the radiator surface area. This means unused radiators or radiators in rooms not being used should be left open or on.

Ben explained: "Not doing so will make your boiler have to work harder and burn more energy to reach the desired temperature of the radiators you have left on. This is all due to the fact that while the radiators are less hot, they are still able to heat your home to the desired temperature.

"So, the thing to remember is if you are not using radiators in unused rooms, you still want to leave them on in order to allow water to continue to flow through them."

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