HARD-UP Brits up and down the country have been scratching their heads to find ways to drive down pricey household energy bills.

But what if it's your boiler that's pushing up costs? We reveal what you could be doing wrong, and how to slash your heating bills this winter.

It's just as well, as energy bills have risen by over 70% just since the summer.

The cost of living has pushed energy bills, amongst a hoard of other outgoings, to all time highs lately, so many Brits are feeling the pinch.

Martin Lewis has even warned that households will be paying 40% more for energy bills by the time the next energy price cap is updated next April.

Bill payers already saw their costs rocket in October as annual tariffs went up by as much as £139 when the price cap last rose.

That could be changing even more frequently as the energy crisis continues, so it's more important than ever for Brits to keep on top of rising costs.

If you're looking for somewhere to start, here's how you've been using your boiler all wrong.

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The temperature is too high

When the cold weather arrives many households will whack up the heating immediately, but that doesn't have to mean the temperature should rocket.

You should instead turn the heat up gradually – you can try hiking up the dial one degree at a time until you reach a temperature you're happy with.

Between 18 and 21 degrees is recommended but most households set their heating above 22 degrees.

Energy experts at Uswitch have explained to The Sun before that households could save as much as £127.70, knocking down the temperature.

Otherwise your boiler is heating up unnecessarily.

The pressure is too low

If you've got low boiler pressure then it could be making prices high.

The pressure should be between one and two on the gauge, as recommended by experts.

Anything below that is low pressure and can mean the boiler won’t fire up – it just means it will work harder for no more benefit.

There's a build up of grime

Ideal Heating explains how if your boiler sounds like a kettle when it heats up, it means there's a build up of grime or limescale inside the boiler’s heat exchanger.

That means the boiler won't run efficiently and will waste money and energy in the process.

This step might take a few months of planning in advance, but starting to switch on your boiler intermittently in the summer will help prevent the build up.

Ideal Heating revealed that switching it on once or twice a month would do the trick.

It gives you the chance to detect any problems with your boiler before you need to start using it regularly, and helps prevent the build up of grime, dust and other debris which can cause a boiler breakdown or blockages.

Your boiler is too old and rundown

If your boiler has been knocking about for a while it could be riddled with issues that will impact its efficiency.

Corrosion, wear and tear and damage could cause a gas leak or carbon monoxide leak which would result in bigger more dangerous problems down the line, that you'll inevitably have to fork out for too.

Having a regular boiler service will make sure your boiler is running efficiently and safely – you should do this once a year.

A heating engineer can service your boiler in around an hour, but be prepared that you might be left without hot water until they are finished.

Boilers have a warranty of around 10 years, but if you have not had regular services the warranty does not stand.

Common problems with your boiler can be easily fixed though, and as a result you could save £100s.

Not insulating it correctly

Experts at EnergyHelpline explain how insulating your boiler and covering any exposed pipes can typically save £80 a year.

You can kit out your hot water tank with a jacket too and insulate the pipes to make sure that exposed areas don't waste heat either.

You're forgetting the radiators

Your boiler could be working double time, but if the radiators aren't playing along you'll only be wasting energy.

Making sure to regularly bleed your radiators will keep costs down as your boiler won't have to work any harder to get the heat pumped out.

Bleeding gets rid of trapped air, and it's recommended you carry out the radiator maintenance at least every year.

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