Heating expert shares three tricks to save over £100 on bills this winter – and the ‘simple thermostat mistake’ to avoid
AS the temperature drops you might be toying with the idea of putting your central heating on.
It’s no secret that the price of heating has skyrocketed, but there are a few tricks you can rely on to keep costs low.
Your bills don’t have to be quite so stress-inducing, according to Jess Steele, heating technology expert at BestHeating.
Speaking to Express.co.uk she shared three easy tricks to help slash the price of heating your home – and there’s one thermostat mistake to avoid as well.
Turn the thermostat down
Although the average household sets their thermostat to 20°C, chances are you wouldn’t notice if it was slightly lower.
It doesn’t have to be a lot, but reducing your thermostat by as little as one degree can make a huge difference.
Jess explained: “20.8°C is the average thermostat setting in the UK, but 18°C should keep you comfortably warm throughout the colder months.
This can save you up to 10 percent on a fuel bill or an estimated £80.”
The pro suggested turning the heating down by just one degree and seeing if it makes a difference or not.
Heat the room you’re in
Turning the radiators off in rooms you’re not actually in is one of the most practical ways to save money this winter.
After all, there’s no point warming up parts of the house like dining rooms and hallways when you’re probably not spending any real time there.
“Doing this will improve the boiler’s efficiency, allowing rooms you are in to warm quicker and saving over £100 for heating if used daily,” Jess explained.
Just remember to keep interior doors closed to keep the heat in the room you’re using.
Heat at the best time of day
Being savvy about when your turn the heating on can make a big difference.
For example, waiting until one hour before you wake up to turn the heating on in the morning will ensure it’s toasty by the time you get up without wasting money heating a room when you’re asleep under a cosy duvet.
You can do the same thing for the evening by setting it to come on just before you get home.
This is a simple way to ensure you have a “warm house that is cost-effective,” Jess revealed.
How much does it cost to heat your home overnight?
The overall cost of running your central heating depends on a number of factors, like type of boiler you have.
Recent figures from CheckaTrade shows that the average cost of running your heating per hour is 7p per kilowatt-hour.
This means that if you have a 24 kW boiler, it might cost you £1.68 an hour.
Although this is less expensive than under last year’s price cap it still could push your bills up over the entire winter period.
For example if you have your heating on overnight for eight hours, it could cost you £13.44.
Multiply that by seven and you’re paying £94.08 for the week, over several months that’s pretty expensive.
Of course, prices will vary depending on various factors such as what temperature your thermostat is set to.
It’s also important to consider what tariff you’re on, as this could determine how much it costs you a night.