ITV consumer expert Grace Forell has advised This Morning viewers to buy room thermometers costing as little as £1.66 each from shops such as Lidl to keep homes at the right temperature this winter. She said people need to know when it is too cold and the heating should go on, and when it is too hot and they should save money, recommending thermometers be placed in different rooms.
Cheap thermometers and rising bills
Lidl sells the Livarno Home (or Auriol) digital thermometer and hygrometer 3-pack for around £4.99, while B&Q offers a 4-pack of indoor thermometers for £10.59. The advice comes as households face soaring bills: the UK energy price cap rose by 3.6% (rounded to 4%) on 1 October 2026, lifting the average annual bill for a typical dual-fuel household paying by monthly Direct Debit to £1,723. Prices are predicted to rise by over 20% in January.
Ms Forell said people are currently deciding when to switch their heating on. She told hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard: “It’s really up to you when you choose to turn your heating on. From a safety point of view, you don’t really want to be sitting in a room that’s colder than 18° during the day.
“And if you’re elderly or you have certain medical conditions, you want that to be a few degrees warmer is the minimum as well. But you can pick up decent room thermometers for around £10. You can get them on the high street or online and they can help you track the temperature inside so you know when to switch it on.”
Three essential checks
She gave three rules for things people need to check. First, check carbon monoxide detectors: test the alarm and look for an expiry date, as fuel-burning appliances are used more in winter, increasing the CO risk. Second, bleed radiators and clean their insides, since air pockets and dust build-up can affect efficiency. Third, service the boiler.
She explained: “Now is a really good time of year to do various checks. One is checking your boiler. Now, gas boilers should be serviced annually. So, if you haven’t had yours serviced in a while, now is the time to do it because if you wait until winter and it packs in, you’ll probably have to pay quite a high call out fee because demand will be high and you’ll be without heating at the coldest time.
“So, getting your boiler checked, it will just ensure everything’s working as it should be before you really start putting it through its paces. It costs around £100. Make sure you’re using an engineer who’s on the gas safe register. And if you rent, your landlord is responsible for the gas safety checks and for maintaining your boiler as well.”
