When to turn the heating off

What is the ideal room temperature?

The thermostat is a hotly debated topic in most households during the colder months. A ‘comfortable temperature’ can mean something different for different people. What’s nice and toasty for one person can be less than comfortable for another.

It can be tricky to negotiate these different expectations. But as a general rule, the ideal room temperature is actually the same all year round. Whether it’s spring, winter, autumn or summer, you should aim for around 18 °C to 20 °C to keep everyone happy.

That may come as a shock to those who prefer their homes to be warmer, but did you know that if you reduce your thermostat’s setting by just 1 °C you can save as much as £80 over a year?

When’s the best time to turn the heating off?

Most people in the UK say they turn off their heating around 14th April, according to research done by energy provider Npower, but there are several factors to think about, including your comfort levels.

There are no strict rules about temperature settings, but once the outside temperature reaches more than 14 °C it is generally warm enough to turn the heating off. This usually happens at the beginning of spring and last year the switch off date was around April 1st.

How can I reduce my heating costs?

If like most people, you want your heating to be economical, you should only have your heating on when necessary. It sounds almost stupidly simple, but there it is.

The logic follows that there is an ideal, comfortable temperature for your home – without anyone getting too cold, but at the same time without getting too hot or wasting heat through your invariably less-than-airtight home.

This means the date we should be switching off our heating is dependent on that magic ‘comfortable’ temperature. To reduce utilities costs all year round, you might want to look at ways to reduce your energy usage by making small, affordable changes.

Is it cheaper to leave my central heating on all the time?

No. According to the Energy Saving Trust, the idea that having your heating on low all day saves money is false. Our advice is to turn up the heat only when you need it.

Other economical ways to keep your house warm

The warmer months are a great time to invest in energy saving solutions, as they will keep your house at a more consistent temperature, even as weather fluctuates through the unpredictable British Summer. You can naturally be more comfortably warm in your home and save money by:

• Installing insulation in your attic/loft
• Installing cavity wall insulation
• Getting your old boiler replaced for significant efficiency gains
• Using draught excluders on your doors
• Insulating your radiator with reflective foil
• Plugging/covering up gaps in window frames and keyholes

Insulating your roof and walls and replacing your boiler is obviously a bigger commitment than the other three, but insulation will help you stop heat escaping through your roof and walls and through random gaps all-around your home. You can make significant savings this way – in fact, 25% of your heat is lost through the roof and 35% through your walls. So roof and cavity wall insulation really pays for itself in a couple of years.

We can help to protect your boiler and central heating system

With boiler and heating cover from HomeServe, you can relax knowing that if there’s a problem we’ll be on hand and ready to help when you need us.