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Warm Home Discount Scheme Set To Open

Despite many of us hanging on for an Indian summer in September, temperatures are cooling off, and the days are noticeably shorter, and it won’t be long until households across the UK are turning up their central heating, which can lead to higher fuel bills over the winter period. 

We are all looking for ways to help reduce our fuel bills, but to help with the mounting costs, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has reminded people that they could be eligible for a £140 discount on their electricity bills for 2021/22 winter season under the Warm Home Discount Scheme, which opens on 18 October.

The £140 is not paid directly to the claimant, but instead is a one-off discount on your electricity bill between October and March 2022. If your energy supplier provides you with both gas and electricity, then you may be able to get the discount on your gas bill instead.

Am I eligible?

There are two pathways to qualifying for the Warm Home Discount scheme:

How to apply

Your electricity supplier decides who gets the discount, and the number of discounts available is limited, so be sure to check with your supplier as soon as possible to see if you’re eligible and how to apply, and they will add the discount to your bill by 31 March 2022.

For more information about the Warm Home Discount Scheme for winter 2021/22, visit the GOV.UK website here.

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Which Radiators Should You Bleed First?

Bleeding a radiator is one of the simplest DIY tasks you can do, but there is a method to bleeding your radiators to ensure you get the maximum benefit to your central heating.

It is a good time of year to check your central heating is working properly, to ensure you won’t be without it when you need it when the weather gets colder. Bleeding your radiators is a good place to start, and we explain how, as well as which radiator to bleed first.

From time to time, air can get trapped in your central heating system, which means you need to bleed your radiators. The best way to check if you have air trapped is to switch on your central heating to maximum and allow the radiators to heat up to their full temperature.

Check each radiator carefully, and feel if there are any temperature differences across the surface of each radiator. If it feels cool at the top, and warm at the bottom, then it is likely you have air trapped, and it needs bleeding. Remember to check all the radiators and bleed all those that need.

 

The radiator to bleed first

Before you start, ensure that your central heating is switched off, and start with a downstairs radiator that’s the furthest from your boiler. Work methodically, moving to the next closest to the boiler, and repeat the process on the next floor.

 

How to bleed a radiator

All you need is a brass radiator key (or a flathead screwdriver) and a cloth to catch any drips of escaping water. Please ensure your heating system is switched off and had a chance to cool down before starting this job.

Once you’ve bled all your radiators, switch on your central heating and you should find that all of your radiators are heating up evenly and fully. If this is not the case, or if you find you are having to bleed your radiators regularly, it’s probably worth getting in a professional heating engineer to look for any deeper problems.

 

If you’re looking for central heating repairs in North London, talk to us today.

Prime Minister To Postpone Gas Boiler Ban By Five Years

Boris Johnson is considering pushing back the ban on the sales of new gas boilers by five years to 2040, following a backlash over spiralling ‘net-zero’ costs

The Daily Mail reports that Brits are being incentivised to buy eco-friendly heat pumps and hydrogen boilers, and the postponement of the ban on gas boilers will allow the price for the eco-friendly alternatives to come down and for businesses to invest into helping people make the change gradually.

It may mean that working boilers would need to be taken out before 2050, or the UK may risk failing to hit its net-zero targets, which ministers are keen to avoid.

Here are concerns within the government about the cost of the PM’s eco-plans, which could see the Treasury needing to find another £400 billion.

The initial plans were to issue homeowners with ‘green cheques’ worth hundreds of pounds to compensate for making green changes to their homes, but now only the poorest of Brits will get the financial assistance, leaving middle-class families to pay some of the bill.

A full strategy is set to be published in the autumn ahead of Britain hosting the COP26 climate summit with 100 leaders from around the world.

Britain’s 28 million homes contribute more than a third of UK carbon emissions, which must be slashed to zero by 2050.

However, government insiders are concerned that while great leaps have been made in electric vehicle technology to replace petrol and diesel cars, heating strategies and technologies are not advancing as rapidly, as heat pumps are not compatible with some properties, such as flats.

Climate experts and forecasters say the cost of acting now will be far less than letting it run out of control and get even worse in the decades to come.

 

If you’re looking for central heating repairs in North London, get in touch today.