As a bitter cold snap tightens its grip on Britain, personal finance guru Martin Lewis has issued timely guidance that could settle a common household debate: what is the ideal temperature to set your heating?
The One-Degree Difference That Saves Pounds
According to the founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, a minor adjustment to your thermostat can lead to major savings. Simply turning down your heating by one degree Celsius is a powerful yet straightforward action. The Energy Saving Trust estimates this single change could save an average household approximately £90 on annual energy bills.
Many Britons routinely set their thermostats in the low 20s, but Lewis suggests reconsidering this habit. For example, reducing the setting from 21°C to 20°C can accumulate significant savings over the colder months without a drastic loss of comfort.
'Heat the Human, Not the Home'
The cornerstone of this cost-cutting strategy is Lewis's mantra: 'heat the human, not the home'. This philosophy shifts the focus from warming entire rooms to keeping individuals cosy through personal measures.
The World Health Organisation recommends 18°C as a suitable temperature for healthy adults, with a slightly higher setting advised for the very young, elderly, or those with certain health conditions. Adopting this as a baseline, rather than a higher default, forms the foundation of the approach.
Real-Life Tips from Savvy Savers
Practical advice from members of the public underscores how effective this method can be. One saver, Pauline, explained how dropping her daytime thermostat to 18.5°C and investing in high-quality fleece thermal vests and leggings made a "huge difference" in staying warm.
Another, Louise, swears by a heated gilet powered by a rechargeable pack. "I now wear it in the house during the day and just turn it on as I feel chilly," she shared. "Keeps my core really warm. Much cheaper to charge the pack than run the heating!"
For nighttime warmth, solutions like electric heating pads or heated throws prove popular. One budget-watcher revealed a heating pad in bed stops them needing to get up to refill a hot water bottle, while another commented: "I swear by heated throws! I rarely use my central heating, and find I can do without when I'm under one of these."
Experiment to Find Your Perfect Balance
The key takeaway from Martin Lewis's guidance is that managing winter comfort is personal. Finding the right balance between a lower ambient temperature and effective personal warmth layers requires some experimentation. By embracing the 'heat the human' strategy and adjusting the thermostat downwards, households can achieve a cosy home while protecting their wallets from soaring energy costs.
