Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert (MSE) has highlighted that reducing your thermostat by just one degree could have a greater impact than most homeowners expect. According to Energy Saving Trust figures cited by MSE, decreasing the temperature by a single notch could deliver savings of approximately £90 for a typical household.
Optimal Temperature Guidance
Most households typically have their thermostats set somewhere in the 20s, but merely reducing from 21°C to 20°C, for instance, could deliver considerably more savings over time. Based on World Health Organisation guidance, 18°C represents the optimal temperature for healthy adults, with a marginally warmer setting recommended for elderly residents or children.
Combi Boiler Adjustments
A further suggestion from Money Saving Expert concerns those with combi boilers, who could trim their gas bill by £65 a year by making a minor adjustment. The combi boiler is the most widely used type in British homes, and one effective method of reducing costs is by lowering the flow temperature.
This refers to the water circulating throughout the system that heats your radiators, which can be turned down as it is typically set considerably higher than necessary by default. This means the boiler isn't running at its most efficient setting, and by adjusting this you could reduce your gas consumption by 3%.
The website states: "Combi boilers work best when they heat radiators to 60°C or below. But this flow temperature is often set much too high, often between 70°C and 80°C."
Other Boiler Types
For those with a boiler and a hot water cylinder, it is recommended you set it to 70°C for safety purposes, as advised by the Heating Hub. To eliminate any risk of legionella bacteria developing in water stored within the cylinder, the Health and Safety Executive stipulates that hot water must be maintained at 60°C, enabling the boiler to deliver a higher temperature to account for heat loss as the water travels to the cylinder.
Your boiler can be reconfigured to have temperatures set independently, though you should always engage a Gas Safe engineer when doing so. As a result, you can then reduce the flow temperature of your heating system and, in doing so, cut your gas bills, while ensuring your hot water remains as safe as possible.
