Martin Lewis has settled the common household debate on whether it is cheaper to leave your heating on low all day or switch it on only when needed. The Money Saving Expert founder shared energy-saving tips with viewers of The Martin Lewis Money Show Live on Tuesday, November 10.
With winter approaching and energy bills set to rise by a further 24 per cent in January, Lewis revealed practical hacks to help keep homes warm without hiking bills. He was joined by a panel of industry specialists who answered viewers' questions on maximising everyday energy efficiency.
Heating Only When Needed
Addressing the common question of whether it is better to have heating on low throughout the day or only when you feel cold, Lewis told viewers: "The Energy Saving Trust default setting is that you have your heating on from 7am to 9am in the morning, this is for people who go out to work during the day, not people who are staying at home all day.
"So you have your heating on from 7am to 9am, and then you have it on from 4pm to 11pm at night, and that should keep the fabric of your house going."
"Generally the rule is you only pump heat into your house when you need it, and then you don't put it on when you don't need it, and then you pump it on again when you need it."
Expert Panel Insights
Professor Richard Fitton stated: "It depends on a number of things, the weather, the type of building. If you've got a big heavyweight house with lots of thermal mass, so that might be a solid brick Victorian terrace for instance, then that will store heat and that will act as a battery for heat.
"Whereas if you have a very lightweight or modern house made of timber frame for instance, that will heat up really quickly but won't necessarily store the heat."
He added: "So if you have your heating on low all day, that can work in different ways but I think that's probably an easier challenge for that house. But the simple answer to this is that more than 60 per cent of us now have smart meters for gas and electric so you can literally do your own experiment and see which works out best for you.
"If you took a typical winter week, maybe sometime in December or even now as it gets a bit colder, that will answer your question."
Heating Appliance Considerations
James Lacey, a heating engineer, added: "Depending on the heating appliance that you're using to create heat, it depends how you control it and how you use it.
"So if you're on a gas boiler or heat pump and you can modulate its output and run it a little bit lower or slower, that is going to be more economical and better for your bills.
"But if you're on say an oil boiler or some electric heaters, they're either on or they're off, they haven't got a low setting. So in them cases you're probably going to be better off using some time-of-use rates."
Lewis then added: "I know it's not the clear answer you wanted, but hopefully it will give you somewhere to stop."
