As a bitter Arctic blast threatens to send temperatures plummeting across the UK, households are desperately seeking ways to cut soaring energy bills. With costs hundreds of pounds higher than just three years ago, the debate over the most efficient way to heat our homes has never been more urgent.
The Great Heating Debate: Constant vs On-Demand
A persistent myth suggests that keeping your central heating on a low setting all day is more economical than turning it on and off. However, a unanimous verdict from five industry experts shatters this long-held belief.
Ryan Willdig from Heatforce was direct in his assessment: "There has been a lot of misinformation over the years that leaving the heating on low all day is a lot more cost-efficient than just using it when you need it. In reality, it's far more efficient and cost-effective to only use the heating when required."
This view was strongly echoed by Gav Murray, Hive heating director, who advised against the constant low-heat approach. "Although some households leave their heating on at a low temperature all the time, this isn't the most efficient approach and can often be costly," he stated.
The Smart Heating Strategy Experts Recommend
So, what is the correct method to manage your heating costs? The consensus points towards intelligent scheduling.
Gav Murray recommends a practical schedule: "Setting it to switch on half an hour before you get out of bed in the morning, between 18°C and 21°C, will make sure your house is warm for when you're showering and having breakfast, without leaving it on all night. In addition, setting your heating to come on 30 minutes before you get back home in the evening avoids heating an empty house."
Zoe Morris, savings expert at VoucherCodes.co.uk, explained the financial logic behind this approach. "When you leave your heating on constantly, energy usage builds up, and you're likely paying for warmth in rooms you aren't even using," she said. Her advice is to heat only the spaces you're occupying, using timers or smart thermostats to prevent energy waste.
This strategy was further supported by Kevin Pennington from Lancashire Air Conditioning, who advised: "Rather than leaving it running all day, set it to come on just before you get up or come home - that way, you're not paying to heat an empty house."
The Official Word and Important Exceptions
The Energy Savings Trust offers clear guidance on this matter, stating: "If you have a boiler, then no – keeping your heating on all the time will use more energy and cost you more money. It's more energy efficient, and better for your bills, to have your boiler come on when you need it."
However, they note a crucial exception: if you have a heat pump, then you can save money by leaving the heating on all day.
The advice from Heat Geek adds another layer of nuance, suggesting that if you're home frequently (such as throughout evenings and weekends), maintaining constant heating might prove more economical with either heat pumps or modern condensing boilers fitted after 2005. In such cases, they recommend keeping heating on continuously but reducing temperatures to approximately 18-19°C.
Optimal Thermostat Settings and Additional Savings
Multiple experts agree on the ideal thermostat range. Hive recommends homeowners maintain their main thermostat between 18°C and 21°C, with most of their users opting for 18°C.
The potential savings from small adjustments are significant. Gav Murray revealed that for an average household, lowering the temperature by just one degree could save as much as £115 a year.
Tom Edmunds, Heating Expert and General Manager at Wunda Group, confirmed similar savings, stating: "Turning your thermostat down by just 1°C can save the average home up to £80 a year on their energy bills."
Beyond scheduling, experts recommend five straightforward, cost-free strategies to further reduce heating expenses: draught-proofing your home by checking windows and doors, using your thermostat properly, only heating the rooms you're using, using your boiler and radiators correctly, and keeping yourself warm first.
Tom Polkinghorne, director of Creations Building and Landscaping, emphasised the importance of efficiency, noting: "A lot of homes use more energy to heat their home than they should, because the heat escapes too quickly."
One final crucial tip from energy efficiency specialist Jamie Burns warns against a common mistake: "Turning it up to 25°C does not heat rooms faster. It overshoots, wastes energy and makes the system short-cycle."
