Hot tips to lower your heating bills

When the weather outside is frightful, there’s nothing more delightful than curling up on the sofa with the heating on full blast.

But don’t fall into the trap of wasting energy. You can turn your bills down lower and still stay toasty with these energy saving tips… 

1. Change your heating programme

Some say you’ll save on heating bills if you leave your boiler running all the time. Wrong! The Energy Saving Trust say the less often you have your heating and hot water on, the more money you’ll save.

So, turn your radiators off when you don’t need them. You don’t need a sauna-like home when you’re at work or asleep under a cosy warm duvet.

Modern timers make setting a new heating programme easy. You can heat your home at different times on different days. You could even have a different programme at weekends. And don’t forget to lower that thermostat when you’re on your holidays. Your home needn’t be tropical while you’re soaking up the sun on distant shores.

You could also turn your central heating on a smidge later in the day, and then turn it off a bit earlier. The challenge is to heat your home less without it affecting your comfort.

And one final thing here. Always consider your home’s warm up and cool down times when you set your timer. With a bit of trial and error, you’ll be able to keep cosy without running up big bills. 

2. Adjust your thermostat

Did you know that every degree you turn your thermostat down could save you money? This is one of the simplest energy saving tips to do. For example, turning it down from 22°C to 21°C could save around £90 a year. That’s according to the Energy Saving Trust, the experts in energy efficiency.

The trick is to set your thermostat as low as you can while keeping your home comfortable. Most people find 18-21°C warm enough. So, try the lower end of this scale first before nudging the temperature upwards.

You can also control the temperature of different rooms with your radiators. Look for thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) if you have gas central heating. They usually have temperature controls labelled 1 to 5. Turn the heat down, or off completely, in rooms you don’t use.

Don’t forget to consider the weather when you set the temperature, either. Try turning it down as winter turns to spring and then spring turns to summer.

Also think about your boiler’s ‘flow temperature’ (the temperature of the water circulating your central heating) throughout the year. Many people have it higher than it needs to be.

You could also turn the temperature of your hot water down. Who needs steaming hot showers in summer when the sun has got its sombrero on?

Ask a professional to check your flow temperature if you’ve got a system or regular boiler. Dangerous bacteria can grow if you set the temperature too low. 

3. Consider smart technologies

Controlling your heating has never been so simple thanks to modern tech. Thermostats now have more accurate sensors, timers give you more flexibility, and many ‘smart’ heating controls include extra energy-saving options.

You’ll usually get an overview of the temperature in each room, too. So, you can pump up the heat, or dial it down, at the tap of a button.

Smart heating also makes it easier to save on your heating bills. It lets you control your heating on your mobile phone or, in some cases, by speaking to your home AI. Talk about convenient.

The result is that it’s much easier to heat the rooms you use most. And you can keep rooms you rarely use, like a dining room or guest bedroom, cooler.

Some people set their heating to match their routine. So, why not give your bedroom a heating boost just before you go to bed? Feeling that extra warmth as you slip into your PJs is priceless.

You can even use a smart app to turn your heating down automatically when you go out. And then boost it again when you’re on the way home for a lovely warm welcome. Some systems let you control your hot water via the app too.

4. Block drafts and improve your insulation

These are the two main ways to stop heat escaping from your home. Although it’s hard to insulate older homes to modern new-build standards, you can still make big improvements and save on heating bills. And installing insulation could pay for itself over time.

There are lots of insulation types to consider. Loft insulation is the most economical. It costs a few hundred pounds, and you might be able install it yourself. More expensive options include floor insulation, cavity wall insulation, flat roof insulation, and solid wall insulation.

Visit the Energy Saving Trust website for information about insulation and how much it might cost. If you’ve got a mortgage with us, you could even think about extra borrowing secured against your home to fund the work.

Drafts are the enemy of energy efficient homes too. So, look out for things like keyholes, letter boxes, cracks around doors, and gaps around electrical outlets and pipes. You can buy covers for the first two and use weatherproof tape or draft excluders to block the others.

Windows are another area to focus on, especially if yours are past their best. Upgrade to double or triple glazing if you can afford it. Or consider quick foam seal or insulation strips if money’s tight. But remember, your home still needs some ventilation to fight mould. So, avoid blocking things like window trickle vents or wooden flooring grills.

If you’re renting, speak to your landlord about all these things first. You could even mention that you’re following recommended energy saving tips.

It’s also worth checking out these other ways to make your home more energy efficient when you’ve got a spare minute or two.  

5. Look after your boiler, water cylinder, and radiators

This is one of our favourite energy saving tips. Boilers can use more energy than anything else in the home. So, make sure yours is working efficiently by getting it serviced regularly.

If you have a gas boiler, ask a Gas Safe engineer to make sure it’s finely tuned. The pressure should be between 1 and 2 bars.

It’s also important to insulate your hot water cylinder. This will keep your hot water warmer for longer. Buy a 80mm thick cylinder jacket and insulate the pipes too, especially the ones coming in and out of the cylinder.

Finally, don’t neglect your radiators. If you’ve got a gas boiler, and your rads feel cool at the top and warm at the bottom, they could need bleeding. Wait until the heating’s off and then follow these instructions on how to bleed your radiators.

A quick word on radiator covers - they block some heat from reaching the room. It’s the same story when you put furniture or curtains in front of radiators too.

Want more energy saving tips?

Check your EPC if you want to improve the energy efficiency of your home some more. You’ll find a list of handy suggestions to help you save on heating costs.

You’ll also get an idea of how much each improvement would’ve cost, and how much you could’ve saved on your bills, at the time the EPC was done.

You could also arrange a new assessment through our partners Countrywide or find an assessor on the government website.

By making a few changes, you can save money on your heating bills without turning the temperature tepid. Have a think and see which ideas you warm to.