Turn down thermostat.
If you turn down your main thermostat just one degree it will cut your heating bills straight away, and you may not feel any difference.
Turn down thermostat — Simple Energy Advice
Timers
- Most heating systems have a timer or programmer that tells the heating when to turn on and off. You should set this to come on shortly before you get up and to go off a bit before you go to bed. You’ll need to use a bit of trial and error to find out how much before. This depends on how quickly your heating system responds, and how quickly your house heats up and cools down.
- If there’s no-one at home during the day, you should also set the heating to turn off sometime before you go out, and to come on again before you expect to get home.
- More sophisticated optimized time controls are available which may be compatible with your boilers. These automatically adjust the start and stop times dependent upon the temperature in your home.
- Smart controls can allow heating systems to be adjusted remotely through the internet and device apps to save energy when you are not home.
Heating Water Temperatures
Boilers operate with greater efficiency when the heating water is set to lower temperatures. Gas fired condensing boilers operate more efficiently when the water temperature is set to 57°C or lower. At these temperatures the boiler will run in condensing mode with a 9% greater efficiency.
Heaters
Keep radiators and convectors clear of obstructions and clean to optimal performance. Set thermostats and radiator valves to the required temperature, make incremental adjustments and do not use them as on/off switches.
Servicing
Ensure your heating equipment is serviced regularly in accordance with manufacturers recommendations to keep it safe and working efficiently.
Hot Water
- Take showers instead of baths. This is a great way to save money on your energy bills. A five minute shower can use about a third of the water of a bath. You could consider taking an even shorter shower.
- Fitting a water efficient shower head – these can give the same feel as a standard shower head, while using less water, and less energy too.
- Heat recovery system – this is more expensive, and will be easier to fit when you are refurbishing your shower anyway. It recovers heat from the hot water that runs down the drain, and uses it to pre-heat water for the shower, cutting your water heating bills.
- Financial savings can be even more if you have a water meter fitted.