Households feeling the pinch of the cost of living crisis are on the hunt for ways to reduce the cost of gas and electricity. One insider tip recommends dialling back thermostats just by one degree.
Andy Kerr, founder of online boiler seller BOXT, says the tip could save people over £100 a year. Reducing the temperature by just a little means people could save big yet not feel the difference in temperature.
As the energy price cap is rising on October 1, BOXT has shared more advice on how to save money on your energy bills.
The pointers explain why you should keep the boiler on even when you're away and how switching could save £580.
1. Turn your thermostat down by one degree
You could save over £100 a year by turning the heating down by just one degree. An estimated 17 million households in the UK could save as much as £2 billion by turning their thermostats down by just 1°C from the current average temperature of 20°C.
In addition, if everyone in the UK turned their thermostat down by just 1 degree it would save the same amount of carbon equivalent to:
370 million trees being planted;
4.1 million cars being taken off the road;
2.4 million people changing to a vegetarian diet;
7.9 million return flights from London to New York.
1.9 trillion emails being sent
2. Check you have the best boiler type for your home
Depending on the efficiency rating of your current boiler and the type of home you live in, you could save up to £580 a year on your energy bills simply by upgrading to a new A rated boiler – without having to change the way you use it.
For instance, if you live in a detached house you could save up to £580 a year on your energy bill if you're upgrading from a G-rated to an A-rated boiler - over 20% of the cost of the average new boiler installation!
This is how much you can save by finding the right boiler for your type of home:
If you live in a detached house you could save up to £580 a year on your energy bill if you're upgrading from a G-rated to an A-rated boiler - over 20% of the cost of the average new boiler installation!
Upgrading your boiler in a semi-detached house could save you up to £380 annually, a massive 29.9% of the average UK cheapest energy tariff which comes in at £1,268 a year.
If you live in a detached bungalow you can end up saving up to £300 a year on your energy bill simply by upgrading your boiler to a new A-rated one.
In a flat, upgrading your boiler could save you up to £150 annually, covering more than double the average monthly energy bill for property size.
If you live in a mid-terrace house you could see annual savings of up to £325 if you upgrade to a boiler with an A efficiency rating.
3. Service your boiler and make savings
As well as ensuring your boiler manufacturer warranty remains valid, having a regular boiler service enables it to run as efficiently as possible as well as helping to prolong the lifespan of your boiler, so you keep your energy bills low and don't have to think about paying for a new boiler for even longer.
4. Programme your boiler
Research undertaken by BOXT found that only 27.3% of people schedule their boilers, meaning their boilers are unlikely to be operating as efficiently as possible, and homes won't be maintaining the optimum comfortable temperature.
Investing in a smart thermostat like the Google Nest Learning Thermostat gives you full control over the temperature of your home from wherever you are.
Data from Google suggests that you can save up to 16% annually on your energy bills by using a Nest Learning Thermostat. The smart technology learns from your habits and can therefore build a schedule that works perfectly for your household, ensuring your boiler is operating as efficiently as possible.
If you don't have a smart thermostat, still make sure you make full use of the thermostat controls to programme your boiler to only come on when you need it.
5. Use a smart meter
Smart meters can help you better understand your energy usage via the in-home display. With more information on your day-to-day energy use, you can see when you're using the most energy, and identify ways to cut back and in turn save money.
With the rising cost of living, smart meters can help to eliminate inaccurate bills, as they feedback directly to your energy supplier, therefore you shouldn’t get an unexpectedly high bill.
6. Use thermostatic radiator valves to control the temperature room by room
Installing thermostatic radiator valves and using them with your thermostat could save £75 per year according to the Energy Saving Trust. They recommend using the thermostat to control the heat in your main living space and using thermostatic radiator valves to lower the heating in rooms you don't use as often.
7. Keep the boiler on, even if you're away
To prevent frozen pipes, which can cause hundreds of pounds of damage, the Energy Saving Trust recommends you leave the heating on to some degree during winter, even if you're not there.
Check your home insurance policy before you go away. The rule of thumb is to keep your heating at a minimum 12 degrees, rather than switching it off completely.
8. Use insulation to make sure no heat is being wasted
In addition to wall, roof and floor insulation keeping the heat in your home, insulating your water tank, pipes and radiators is a quick and easy way to improve efficiency; saving energy and therefore money.
With options such as a hot water cylinder jacket, which you can fit yourself and only costs around £15, you can quickly start making improvements.
