A heating specialist from Which? has shared a simple radiator setting tip that could help households cut their heating bills without sacrificing comfort. The advice focuses on the dial position on each radiator across the home.
Why the dial should stay at three or lower
The expert explained that every numerical position on the dial relates to a specific room temperature. In a video shared on TikTok, the Which? specialist said: "Don't have this dial higher than three. Unless it's the room where your thermostat is. Whacking your thermostatic radiator valve up to five opens the valve to the max, letting loads of hot water into the radiator when your heating is on."
"That's great when it's a room you want to heat quickly, like the living room, especially if that's where your main thermostat is. But if you have every radiator set to five, your heating bills could be higher than they need to be," the expert added.
Recommended settings for bedrooms and living rooms
The specialist suggested that bedroom radiators should stay between positions two and three to keep temperatures between 15 and 20 degrees. "In bedrooms you should keep the dial between two and three. This will keep the room temp between 15 and 20 degrees, which is comfortable and could save you money," the expert said.
Living rooms could use higher positions, particularly if the main thermostat is located there.
Thermostat guidance and potential savings
According to the Energy Saving Trust, for most UK homes the recommended thermostat setting is the lowest comfortable temperature, typically between 18°C and 21°C. Installing a thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves can save Brits £100 a year in energy bills.
A room thermostat stops the central heating system using more energy than it needs to. It turns the heating on until the room reaches the temperature you've set, then turns the heating off until the temperature drops again.
