Citizens Advice has shared a simple '30 minute rule' to help households avoid wasting money on heating bills this winter. The advice comes as temperatures drop and many people spend more time indoors, making heating a priority. With energy costs a concern for many, knowing when to switch heating on and off could help manage energy use more effectively.
How the 30-minute rule works
According to the charity, one of the easiest ways to manage heating is to think about when you actually need it. For example, if you are out at work during the day, you could set your heating to switch off while you are away. However, homes take time to warm up and cool down.
Citizens Advice suggests switching heating on around 30 minutes before you need it, and turning it off around 30 minutes before you no longer need it. They also suggest adjusting these timings depending on the size of your house or the type of building you live in.
Adjusting for winter conditions
During the peak of winter, your house may take longer than usual to heat up, so it is advised to bring your heating schedule forward. When the weather starts warming up, it is important to change your timings back so you are not wasting money and using more heating than necessary.
How you programme your heating will depend on the controls you have, but the general advice from Citizens Advice is straightforward. Your heating should be set to reach a comfortable temperature when you are at home and awake, and a lower setback temperature when you are out or asleep.
Example heating schedule
Citizens Advice provides an example on its official website to make the advice easier to understand. The example features Sam, who has a programmer and a separate room thermostat. On a normal day, Sam gets up at 6am and leaves her home at 8am to go to work.
Sam sets her room thermostat to 18 degrees Celsius and leaves it set at this temperature. She sets her programmer to turn the heating on at 5:30am so her home is warm when she wakes up, and to turn it off at 7:30am so her home is not kept warm while she is out.
Sam gets home at 6pm and goes to bed at 10pm. She sets her programmer to turn the heating on at 5:30pm so her home is warm when she is at home, and to turn it off at 9:30pm so her home is not kept warm while she is asleep.
For more advice on managing your heating, visit the official Citizens Advice website.
