Two weather warnings have been issued for Nottinghamshire with ice and temperatures of -3C forecast for the county this week. As temperatures plummet, many households will be turning up the heating dial.
However, with the cost of living crisis upon us, and soaring energy costs, we'll all also have an eye on the cost. Money Saving champion Martin Lewis offered a word of warning when it came to how you use your heating this winter.
Householders have long debated whether it was more economical to keep their heating on low all day, or just blast it every now and again. Some experts argue that it depends on how well your home is insulated, because this will determine how much energy you need to heat up. However, financial guru Martin Lewis has now settled the debate, according to the Mirror.
Martin was speaking about the cost of living crisis on ITV morning programme, Good Morning Britain. The financial journalist answered the question posed about whether it's cheaper to leave your heating on low all day, or put it on twice a day.
READ MORE: Warning winter at Nottingham hospitals may be 'more challenging than the pandemic'
Martin explained: "The general advice from the energy saving trust is that you have your heating on when you need it, and you turn it off when you don't need it. The myth that it is cheaper to have it on all day is false."
However, he did admit that if you have a home that is prone to condensation it would cost a lot of energy to turn the heating off and on. He continued: "But in most cases, you turn the heat on when you need it and turn it off when you don't. It's best to do it on a timer and a thermostat."
Continuing on the topic of heating and its cost, the broadcaster highlighted one mistake people tend to make when it gets colder that could also be costing them money. He explained: "When it gets cold, people turn their thermostat up, but if it's set to 20 degrees, you don't need to turn it up because you're cold now. You're just going to have to wait until it gets up to the temperature.
"Don't turn it up to 22 just because it's not on right now. That's what a thermostat is for. It will give you the temperature that you've predefined it to be."
Many took to social media to explain that they had saved money by only turning on heating when they needed it. One person said: "He's right. Switching it on when needed saved us £5 a day putting it on for 2 hours. We're in a new build. When heating on permanently condensation build up is really bad, when off through night, there's next to no condensation."
Another person added: "I ended up with huge bills after being told better leaving heating on low. Well, it definitely isn’t."
READ NEXT:
'Most unlikely band of criminals' were coerced into selling cannabis
Yorkshire Terrier was taken to vet to be put down as he was 'unwanted' by family
DWP £900 cost of living payments are due in 2023 - here's who qualifies
Co-operative Bank shows 'commitment' to Nottingham by opening new-look branch in city centre
