How do I heat my home more cheaply?

Heating cost is driven by how warm, how long and how much space. Each is adjustable independently, and small changes to all three add up to more than a large change to any one of them.

What you'll need

• Your heating controls
• Thermostatic radiator valves (optional)
• Draught excluders (optional)

Step by step

1. Turn the thermostat down by one degree.Each degree makes a measurable difference over a winter and is usually barely noticeable. 18-21°C suits most people for living areas.
2. Heat only the rooms you use.Turn radiator valves down in unused rooms and close their doors. Do not turn them off completely in winter — a low setting prevents damp and frozen pipes.
3. Get the timing right.Heating on shortly before you need it and off before you leave or sleep. Houses hold heat for a while, so the boiler can stop before you stop needing warmth.
4. Lower the boiler flow temperature if you have a condensing boiler.Many run far hotter than necessary. Reducing the flow temperature lets the boiler condense properly, which is more efficient. Guidance is boiler-specific.
5. Bleed and balance the radiators.Trapped air and unbalanced flow mean the boiler runs longer to heat the same house. Both are free to fix.
6. Draught-proof before doing anything expensive.Doors, windows, letterbox, floor gaps, unused chimney. The cheapest measures with the fastest payback, by a wide margin.
7. Use curtains and rugs.Thick curtains closed at dusk reduce window losses noticeably, and rugs on a cold floor make a room feel warmer at the same temperature.
8. Heat the person before the room where you can.A jumper, a blanket, a hot water bottle, an electric throw. Far cheaper per hour than raising the temperature of a whole house.

Tips

• Do not block radiators with furniture or long curtains. A sofa in front of a radiator absorbs a substantial share of its output.
• Turning the heating off completely when away in winter risks frozen pipes and damp. A frost setting costs little and prevents both.
• Check whether you qualify for any insulation grants or energy support schemes. Substantial help goes unclaimed.

Common mistakes

• Turning the thermostat up to heat the house faster — It heats at the same rate and then overshoots. The thermostat sets a target, not a speed.
• Turning unused rooms off completely — Cold unheated rooms develop condensation and damp, and pipes in them can freeze. A low setting is the correct approach.
• Leaving heating on constantly at a low level — For most homes, heating only when needed uses less. Heat loss is proportional to the difference from outside, so a cooler house loses less.

Questions people ask