Simple heating trick could save you £110 on your heating bills – and it takes seconds to do
IT’S A SIMPLE money saving trick few consider but it could see more than £100 slashed from your heating bills.
Setting programmes on a thermostat rather than just turning it on when needed can save families around £75 a year.
The reduction goes up to £110 if you have a smart thermostat.
It comes as households were told to find an extra £693 to pay their energy bills after the new price cap was confirmed last week.
The cap, which sets the maximum amount providers can charge customers, will come into force from April.
It is also expected to go up again in October.
Along with the rising cost of living, many are worried about paying their bills and are keen to lower their energy consumption to save money.
A traditional thermostat allows you to set the temperature by adjusting the appliance’s dial or by pressing a button.
If you have a programmable thermostat you can set different temperatures for different times of the day.
Doing so can help you save around £75 a year rather than simply turning the heating on.
For those looking for a bigger saving, it might be worth considering investing in a smart thermostat, which can help slash £110 a year on the heating cost.
These devices will connect your heating system to the internet so you can simply control temperatures on your phone.
It also tells you how warm the home is and will allow you to schedule your heating based on when you’re in the home.
However, you will have to keep in mind potential upfront costs of installation which can typically range from £150-£250, but experts say they will make a saving over the long term.
Christopher Lewis, economic analyst at Gemserv said: “Low carbon heating, renewable electricity generation, and insulation upgrades will all play a key role in household decarbonisation.
“However, our new report demonstrates that smart thermostats offer consistent financial returns, whilst saving carbon – unique amongst the four technologies we have analysed.”
How to save on your energy bills
SWITCHING energy providers can sound like a hassle - but fortunately it's pretty straight forward to change supplier - and save lots of cash.
Shop around – If you’re on an SVT deal you are likely throwing away up to £250 a year. Use a comparion site such as MoneySuperMarket.com, uSwitch or EnergyHelpline.com to see what deals are available to you.
The cheapest deals are usually found online and are fixed deals – meaning you’ll pay a fixed amount usually for 12 months.
Switch – When you’ve found one, all you have to do is contact the new supplier.
It helps to have the following information – which you can find on your bill – to hand to give the new supplier.
- Your postcode
- Name of your existing supplier
- Name of your existing deal and how much you pay
- An up-to-date meter reading
It will then notify your current supplier and begin the switch.
It should take no longer than three weeks to complete the switch and your supply won’t be interrupted in that time.
This isn’t the only way you could use thermostat programmes to save energy costs, turning the temperature down can also make a difference.
The average household sets their thermostat at 21 degrees, which is three degrees higher than the cheapest you could get away with whilst staying comfortable.
Matthew Jenkins, heating expert from explained that you can save at least £55 a year by reducing your thermostat by just one degree.
“If your boiler is working efficiently then reducing your thermostat by just one degree will save you money without compromising on your comfort indoors,” he said.
“As a rule of thumb, for every degree you increase the temperature, your heating bill will increase by 10%, so it adds up.”
There are also other ways available to save energy costs at home, you might also be able to simply switch something off here, or plug a draughty gap there.
Here are four tips that can help you save up to £692 on your energy bills this year.
Plus, we round up five ways to save cash when using your washing machine.