Aldi’s £9.99 heat-trap panels backed by Martin Lewis: will they keep your room warm for hours?

As the first cold snaps bite, cash-strapped households are hunting clever fixes that warm rooms without spiking monthly bills.

Aldi will put a £9.99 radiator reflector pack on shelves next week, a low-cost add-on in line with guidance long promoted by MoneySavingExpert founder Martin Lewis. The retailer says the panels push heat back into living spaces, helping warmth linger for hours and reducing the need to nudge the thermostat.

What’s landing in stores and when

The reflector packs are due in UK branches from Thursday 23 October, with more “heat the person, not the whole house” kit following on Sunday 26 October. Stocks are limited as part of Aldi’s Specialbuys model.

Aldi says each £9.99 pack covers roughly three radiators and reflects up to 86% of infrared heat back into the room.

The kit comes with self-adhesive strips and a bubble-foam core to reduce heat loss through external walls — a common weak point in older homes.

Why radiator reflectors matter

Conventional radiators emit heat in all directions. When a unit sits on an external wall, a chunk of that energy warms the brickwork and drifts outside. Reflective panels act like a mirror for infrared, redirecting warmth into the space you actually occupy.

Martin Lewis has repeatedly highlighted this simple upgrade as a thrifty move for autumn and winter. His message has been consistent: line radiators on external walls with reflective material for a cheap gain. Emergency kitchen foil can help in a pinch, but purpose-made sheets are tougher, safer near heat, and easier to fit neatly.

Prioritise radiators mounted on outside walls; panels behind internal-wall radiators bring fewer gains.

How to fit them in 10 minutes

• Measure the radiator’s width and height; cut a piece slightly smaller to avoid showing above or below the panel.
• Clean and dry the wall area to help the adhesive grip.
• Apply the supplied sticky strips to the board or the wall, avoiding hot pipes and valves.
• Slide the reflector behind the radiator and press firmly so it bonds flat to the wall.
• Repeat on other external-wall radiators; avoid blocking thermostatic valves.

How much could you save?

Actual savings depend on your tariff, how long radiators run, and your home’s insulation. Here’s a simple example to gauge the payback.

A back‑of‑envelope scenario

Assume a 1 kW radiator equivalent heat output in a living room used two hours daily. On a tariff of 28p per kWh, that room costs about 56p per day to heat. If a reflector stops even 10% of heat bleeding into the wall, that’s roughly 5.6p saved per day — close to £1.70 a month. The £9.99 outlay could pay for itself over a typical heating season, with bigger gains in poorly insulated homes or on higher tariffs.

These panels don’t replace insulation or glazing upgrades, but they are cheap and quick — and they keep working once fitted.

Other low-cost warmers arriving at Aldi

Alongside the reflectors, Aldi is rolling out a roster of budget winter problem-solvers. The retailer has shared expected prices and, for some products, typical running costs.

When to pick what

Think about the space and the task. A reflector is a set‑and‑forget upgrade for any external‑wall radiator. A personal heater suits a small office or a short stint in a spare room. An electric blanket warms the person in bed for pennies, rather than pushing hot air around an entire house. A dehumidifier can make a chilly room feel warmer by drying the air, as damp air robs heat from skin through evaporation.

Simple checks before you buy

• Radiator location: prioritise units on outside walls; that’s where heat loss is highest.
• Access: ensure you can safely slide a panel behind the radiator without removing it.
• Finish: avoid touching valves or sensors; don’t block convection at the top or bottom.
• Material: reflective sheets designed for heating are safer and more durable than kitchen foil.
• Fire safety: keep all coverings clear of heating elements; follow manufacturer guidance.

How this compares with running the heating

Central heating spreads comfort but wastes cash if you only use one room. A targeted approach can trim hours off boiler schedules. The quoted 32p–53p per hour for Aldi’s small ceramic heaters gives a rough sense of cost when you only need heat for a desk or a quick warm‑up. Electric blankets usually draw far less power than space heaters, so they suit long evenings on the sofa or overnight.

Extra ways to lock in warmth today

Seal the leaks you can’t see

Fit foam strips around loft hatches and letterboxes. Use a brush strip on draughty doors and fill skirting gaps with decorator’s caulk. Small air leaks add up to a big heat drain.

Use your controls intelligently

Turn down thermostatic radiator valves in little‑used rooms and shut doors to contain heat. Set shorter heating schedules and let quick warmers, like blankets, do the rest.

A quick cost check you can run at home

Time your boiler or electric heater for 30 minutes and note the meter reading before and after. Multiply the difference by your unit rate (pence per kWh). Repeat with reflectors fitted on an external‑wall radiator for a week, then compare. While not laboratory‑grade, the trend will show whether your home benefits and how quickly the £9.99 spend recoups.

Bottom line for bill payers

A £9.99 reflector pack is a modest spend that can slow heat loss, especially in older, external‑wall rooms.

Pair it with targeted warming — an electric blanket for you, a small heater for a box room, and a dehumidifier where damp bites — and you can create comfort zones without heating the whole property. With Aldi staggering releases across 23 and 26 October, early shoppers will have the widest pick before lines sell through.