How can I save on heating costs? (2023)

How can we save heating costs?

Home Tree's expert said 18 or 19 degrees is ideal for most homes, even in winter. They continued: “The ideal temperature for homes, even during the Winter, is a steady 18oC or 19oC. Reducing your home's thermostat settings even by as little as 1oC could save you money.

As a general rule, heating your home with a natural gas furnace is the cheapest way to keep warm through the winter months. Electricity is usually significantly more expensive than gas, so even the most efficient heaters will be a bigger drain on your pocketbook than a traditional furnace.

Policemen coming round to gauge the temperature in your spare room is a strange thought. On average, UK homes are heated for about eight hours a day in winter – ten hours a day for homes that have one sustained heating period and seven hours a day for the more usual two heating periods.

Advantages. As long as you close the doors so the cold air doesn't seep into the rest of the house, you will save money by turning off the radiators in unused rooms. By doing so, you'll prevent the water in the system running through that particular radiator.

According to experts at the Energy Saving Trust, the idea it's cheaper to leave the heating on low all day is a myth. They're clear that having the heating on only when you need it is, in the long run, the best way to save energy, and therefore money.

Not only is it okay to leave the heater on all night, it can save you money. Here's the secret: Set the temperature of your home at least eight degrees lower for the eight hours or so that you sleep at night. Every degree you lower the thermostat can net you an estimated 1% off your heating bill.

You should set the central heating programme to come on around half an hour before you get up, and go off around half an hour before you go to bed. And if the house is empty during the day, or you can manage without heating during the day, make sure you've set the programmer to go off for this period too.

Does turning your heat on and off cost more?

ANSWER: Turning your heat on and off is not cost effective, since your system will have to work extra hard for extra long to get the temperature back up.

Below 13° - If your home is this cold, it may increase your blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease. 14-15° - If your home is this cold, you may be diminishing your resistance to respiratory diseases.

With all that said, as a general rule of thumb, the ideal temperature for the elderly in a living room is 21°C, or 70°F, and above, and it's a minimum of 18°C, or 64°F, in the bedroom. Bathrooms, meanwhile, should be between 22°C and 24°C, or 71°F and 75°F.

The Energy Saving Trust recommends heating your home to between 18 to 21 degrees Celsius during winter. And The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests 18 degrees is the ideal temperature for healthy and well-dressed people. Both agree this is also the ideal temperature for sleeping.

The ideal thermostat temperature in the winter is 68 degrees Fahrenheit when you're at home. Energy.gov suggests that 68 degrees is a good room temperature while you're awake at home but recommends lowering it while you're asleep or away.

Silver foil placed down the back of a radiator will reflect heat back into a room rather than letting it uselessly escape through the walls of a house. Do-it-yourself buffs suggest wrapping the foil round pieces of cardboard which have been cut to the right size to make it easier to fit.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, “you can save as much as 10 percent per year on heating and cooling by simply turning your thermostat back seven to 10° for eight hours a day from its normal setting.” The savings is greater for buildings in milder climates than for those in more severe climates.

Keeping your home at a constant temperature generally means that your HVAC system will run constantly to meet it. This means that your furnace or air conditioner may run when you're asleep, at work, or out of the house. This wastes more energy than the minimal amount that you might save by having it constantly run.

Regardless of whether you choose to turn your heating on and off, or keep it on at constant low level, minimising the amount of heat lost from your property through better insulation is always good idea. In the long run, doing so will help you save on bills and cause less harm to the environment.

Do you bleed your radiators with the heating on or off?

How to bleed your radiator. Make sure your central heating system is turned off and the radiators are cool. If you have more than one radiator to bleed, start with the radiator furthest away from your boiler. Insert the radiator key into the bleed valve and place the cloth underneath to capture any water.

1. Gas boiler. A gas boiler is still the cheapest way to heat your home – though that's set to change soon, with the cost of gas rising more than twice as quickly as electricity. Ofgem's last energy price cap rise in April saw gas become 75% more expensive for the average household, up from 4p to 7p per kWh.

Setting the boiler temperature

As a rule, setting your heating control to 75 degrees should be sufficient to give you a perfectly warm house, while also allowing your boiler to run as economically as possible. Once this is set, you shouldn't need to adjust it.

Your boiler controls explained

To maximise efficiency, we recommend setting your radiator dial to 75 degrees and your hot water to 60 degrees. Once you've got your boiler running at the optimal temperature, you'll want to set the timer for when you need heating the most.

'Although there is no optimum date for switching heating on, our research would suggest that the heating should be used regularly from around the start of October. 'By the end of October, even the hardiest among us will have their central heating switched on.'

The reasons your house is cold even with the heat on could be because of poor insulation, your furnace not working properly, rooms with high ceilings, or your heating system doesn't cover the whole house. Each of these issues can prevent your home from properly heating.

The cost of heating your home with gas (British Gas)

Gas is generally much the cheapest form of heating, but its cost depends on a number of factors, including your supplier, tariff and boiler.

Short version: To heat a room, you need 20 candles. According to research, the heating power of one candle is 80W. Therefore 20 candles are about the equivalent of one 1600W space heater. A candle heat source of 1600W combined is able to heat a room thoroughly.

Set your thermostat to 68 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter

According to ENERGY STAR, setting your thermostat to 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) when you're home is the ideal balance of comfort and energy efficiency.

The smarter way to save money: Turn the heat down (not off)

According to Energy.gov, the better way to save money on heating bills is to set back the temperature of your home at least 8 degrees for 8 hours or longer (while you sleep).

Is it better to leave your thermostat at one temperature?

The startup process for a furnace consumes more energy than simply running the entire time at one set temperature, costing you additional money. To maximize efficiency, it's best to keep your furnace (or AC) at the same consistent temperature for long periods of time.

The average room temperature is typically around 20°C, or 68 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a good ambient temperature to aim for, but it is important to bear in mind that different rooms will need to be heated to specific temperatures.

In larger homes, a small room may be worth heating individually if it's less than a quarter of the size of the whole house, although there's less benefit if your house is well-insulated.

Air conditioning. Based on running costs alone, reverse-cycle air conditioning is by far the cheapest way to heat your home: our estimates show that a reverse-cycle air conditioner will cost only a little more to run for the entire year than an electric heater will cost to run just for three months over winter.

According to experts at the Energy Saving Trust, the idea it's cheaper to leave the heating on low all day is a myth. They're clear that having the heating on only when you need it is, in the long run, the best way to save energy, and therefore money.

ANSWER: Turning your heat on and off is not cost effective, since your system will have to work extra hard for extra long to get the temperature back up.

What do the independent experts say? The Energy Saving Trust recommends heating your home to between 18 to 21 degrees Celsius during winter. And The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests 18 degrees is the ideal temperature for healthy and well-dressed people.

While some homeowners have considered turning off their heat at night in an attempt to lower their heating bills, it generally is not recommended as a viable option. The fact is, turning your heat off at night creates more potential risk for your home and your family than it does savings on your energy bill.

The ideal thermostat temperature in the winter is 68 degrees Fahrenheit when you're at home. Energy.gov suggests that 68 degrees is a good room temperature while you're awake at home but recommends lowering it while you're asleep or away.

How can I heat my home for free?

An electric blanket will be far cheaper to run than compared to heating a room. Most blankets will cost around 5 pence per hour to heat. Or take a look at my post in more detail about the cost of using an electric blanket.

Infrared panels

These heaters provide all of their heat output through infrared warmth, making them super-efficient for homes and businesses. None of their heat is lost to air movement, allowing them to boast a very impressive 100% efficiency, as they convert every watt of energy taken from the wall into usable heat.

Not only is it okay to leave the heater on all night, it can save you money. Here's the secret: Set the temperature of your home at least eight degrees lower for the eight hours or so that you sleep at night. Every degree you lower the thermostat can net you an estimated 1% off your heating bill.

The startup process for a furnace consumes more energy than simply running the entire time at one set temperature, costing you additional money. To maximize efficiency, it's best to keep your furnace (or AC) at the same consistent temperature for long periods of time.

1. Gas boiler. A gas boiler is still the cheapest way to heat your home – though that's set to change soon, with the cost of gas rising more than twice as quickly as electricity. Ofgem's last energy price cap rise in April saw gas become 75% more expensive for the average household, up from 4p to 7p per kWh.

Set your thermostat to 68 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter

According to ENERGY STAR, setting your thermostat to 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) when you're home is the ideal balance of comfort and energy efficiency.

Experts at the Energy Saving Trust claim that by heating your home continuously throughout the day, you'll end up losing energy constantly. This energy, which leaks from the home whenever the heating is on, equates to wasted fuel which is bad for both the environment and your heating bills.

When you're home: 68 degrees. When you're sleeping: 60-67 degrees. When you're away: 60-65 degrees.