Your sofa is in the wrong place – and it could be adding £100 to energy bills

YOUR sofa could be costing you extra money just based only on where it's positioned.

There's a chance your sofa could be blocking heat from your radiator - meaning you end up spending more than you need to on your energy bill.

There are several ways your radiator can be prevented from working properly, and having a sofa placed in front of it is one of them.

Nicholas Auckland, a heating expert from , says it could actually set you back as much £100 a year.

He told us: "Having a sofa and other furnishings blocking your radiators could be costing you over £100 a year, especially if you are consistently turning the heating up so you can feel it better.

Of course, the exact amount its costing you can depend on a number of things, including how often your heating is on and how big your home is.

But the more efficiently you use your heating the more you stand to save.

Nicholas said: "Instead of turning it up, remove any furnishings from in front of your radiators to feel the true extent of the warmth your radiators let out.

Remember there are other ways to keep bills down just by using your radiator the right way too.

For example, it's recommended that you bleed your radiators once a year, even if they are working properly.

But always check your boiler pressure first.

This is because, if you try and bleed a radiator that doesn’t have any trapped air to release, water will spill from it quickly.

This could lower your boiler's water pressure and upset the whole system, bringing more costs with it.

More ways to save on energy

Putting the heating on is one of the biggest drains on your energy bill anyway, but sometimes you're inadvertently doing things that can increase your bills.

For example, there's one fact in particular to know if you want to stop spending unnecessary money - don't dry your clothes on the radiator.

If you do, it keeps the radiator from working properly and you might need to leave the heating on for longer to feel its effect.

Potentially, up to £55 could go down the drain every year as a result.

Of course, it could be more or less depending on the size of your home, your provider and how much energy you normally use.

Clothes dryers don't need to cost the Earth either - there's one from Dunelm that will set you back just £12.

Also, letting heat escape through your chimney could throw away up to £300 a year.

That's if you don't have something to block the opening whenever you turn on the heating.

A damper is a seal for your chimney to ensure cold air stays out and warmth from indoors can't escape.

You can install one by yourself if you're used to carrying out small DIY jobs - you shouldn't need any tools to help.

It should fit right up into the flue system which sits above the smoke chamber.

Hopefully it'll slide in comfortably, but there might be a few screws to tighten if your damper comes with them.

But that's the most you'll need to do.

We've seen dampers from the likes of Amazon for £22, but don't forget about added delivery costs.

However bear in mind it'll cost an average of £250 to have someone come in and fit it for you, which could be quite pricey.

Don't forget to do regular annual boiler service checks either - they could actually save you up to £550 a year.

For more energy-saving tips, make sure to read through our handy guide.