Share:
As the crispness of autumn begins to settle across the UK, there's a natural inclination to seek out warmth and comfort within our homes. Yet, the bathroom often remains an overlooked space, quickly becoming one of the chilliest rooms in the house, particularly during those early morning routines.
Bathrooms are often the most challenging rooms to heat and can be a significant source of energy waste due to poor insulation and high heat demand. Yet, as the nation faces yet another surge in energy prices, the need to look for effective ways to heat this space has never been more important as we move towards the colder months.
Here at The Bathroom Showroom, we offer some effective ways to boost your bathroom's temperature and atmosphere, ensuring a warmer, more pleasant start (and end) to your day this autumn and beyond.

1. ​Targeted Heating Control

The key to saving money is heating the room only when you absolutely need it, and only to a comfortable temperature.
  • Use the TRV Effectively: Your bathroom should have a Thermostatic Radiator Valve (TRV), the numbered dial on the radiator. Set this to a higher number (e.g. 4 or 5) only when the room is in use (e.g. for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening). When the bathroom isn't needed, turn the TRV right down to 2 or 3 (or even the frost setting).
Why this saves money: The bathroom's TRV overrides the main house thermostat for that room, letting you call for high heat locally without making the entire house boiling hot.
  • Install an Electric Towel Rail with a Timer: If you only use the bathroom for an hour in the morning, relying on an electric towel rail with a built-in timer might be cheaper than heating the large radiator with your main gas boiler.
Set the timer for 30 minutes before your shower time to warm towels and the air just before you step in.
  • Invest in a Small Fan Heater (Strategic Use Only): For a quick, intense burst of heat just before you get into the shower, a small electric fan heater is very effective. Use it for no more than 5 minutes to take the chill off, then turn it off immediately.
Caution: Though it's quick, electric heat is expensive. Use this only for short, targeted bursts.

2. Retain the Heat You Generate

The biggest waste of energy in a bathroom is losing the steam and warmth you've just paid to create.
  • Close the Door and Windows: This is simple but vital. Keep the bathroom door closed while heating and during your bath or shower. This traps the heat (and steam) inside.
  • Insulate the Pipes: If you have any exposed hot water pipes running to or within the bathroom (e.g. in a loft or airing cupboard), fitting cheap pipe lagging will keep the heat in the water, ensuring it arrives at the radiator or tap hotter and faster.
  • Use the Extractor Fan Wisely: An extractor fan is essential for removing damp air, but it can also suck out all the warm air. Turn it on during your shower to handle the humidity, but turn it off 10 minutes after you leave to keep the residual warmth in the room.

3. Passive and Low-Cost Measures

These tips improve the overall fabric of the room, making your heating controls more effective.
  • Draught-Proofing: British bathrooms are often draughty. Check around the window frames, skirting boards, and especially beneath the door. Use cheap, effective measures like self-adhesive foam strips, silicone sealant, or a simple draught excluder at the base of the door.
  • Radiator Reflective Foil: If your radiator is on an external wall, attach reflective foil behind it. This reflects heat back into the room that would otherwise be lost to the cold wall, making the radiator potentially up to 20% more efficient.
  • Keep the Towel Rail Clear: While counter-intuitive, covering a heated towel rail completely with towels prevents it from radiating heat effectively into the room. If you are relying on the rail to heat the room, keep some of the surface area exposed.
  • Bleed the Radiators: If the top of your bathroom radiator is colder than the bottom, it has trapped air. Bleed the radiator (with a key and a cloth) to ensure it fills completely with hot water and heats efficiently.

Shop Heated Towel Rails At The Bathroom Showroom

A quick and easy way to add some additional warmth to your bathroom this season is to install a heated towel rail. Not only do these bathroom additions add an element of style to your space, but they promote a cosy, comfortable environment that can make all the difference as the temperature begins to drop.
Why not take a look at our jam-packed Bathrooms Brochures and check out our fantastic collections of heated towel rails? From electric to dual-fuel, chrome to Anthracite finishes, we have a towel rail to suit all types and sizes of bathrooms.
​If you’re looking for further help with choosing the best products to keep your bathroom warm this season, book an appointment with The Bathroom Showroom. Experts in all things bathrooms, we can help turn your dream bathroom into a reality.