EXPERTS have revealed the exact temperature Brits should set their thermostat to when they’re going away in order to avoid a costly bill.
During the festive holiday many people take the opportunity to go and visit friends and family between Christmas and New Year for a few days.
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While it’s great to spend time with loved ones it can mean there’s the issue of what to do with the heating when you’re away from home, especially now with the rise in energy bills and the cost of living crisis.
It’s a particular problem during winter – you can leave the heating on and potentially notch up a huge bill, or turn it off and face the possibility you might return home to frozen pipes which could be costly to fix or even replace.
Cost-conscious Brits may think it’s best to switch the heating off completely in order to save some money, but one expert thinks this is not the best thing to do.
Jess Steele, a heating technology expert at Best Heating, told Ideal Home: “The natural solution would be to turn off heating completely to save on energy bills, but this can cause a host of unwanted problems, the cold temperatures can cause frozen pipes leading to broken boilers and in worse case scenarios leaks which are all very costly issues.”
She added: “I would recommend adjusting your thermostat to between 15 to 18 degrees as this should keep enough warmth in your home and won’t be as expensive.”
However, anyone concerned about leaving the thermostat up that high while their home is unoccupied may want to follow the founder of BOXT, Andy Kerr, who recommends “keeping your heating at a minimum of 12 degrees” as a rule of thumb, rather than turning it off completely.
People may also want to set the timer on their thermostat so it comes on just a few hours a day rather than leave it on permanently.
The experts would seem to suggest that the best practice is to leave the heating on when you’re away during the winter months, however, it’s not that clear cut.
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People should also be conscious of how long they are away for and what the weather forecast predicts.
According to David Lukeman, the managing director at Northwest Heating Solutions, the answer depends on what sort of heating system you have and how well your home is insulated.
He said: “Traditional ‘wet’ systems have pipes which can freeze and burst in cold weather conditions, while electric heating systems don’t have this problem.
“Therefore, it’s best to check on what boiler your home employs and to decide from there.
“If you live in a well-insulated home with minimal heat loss, leaving your heating on a low temperature could be considered best practice.
“The greater the heat loss from your home, the more energy you will use to maintain the inside temperature, and therefore the more costly your energy bills will be.”
He added: “Uninsulated homes may find it more cost-effective to only turn the heating on when needed, and turn it off when not home.”
There are a number of ways you can improve your home insulation which may not cost a lot of money.
Mr Lukeman said: “If you have a traditional ‘wet’ system with a modern boiler, it should be fitted with safety measures which make leaks less likely.
“If you have an electric system, it is likely to be RCD protected and will turn off automatically if there’s a problem to ensure your safety.”
People may want to switch to smart heating, which could be the most efficient way to have absolute control over your central heating and energy bills while you’re away.
However, people should consider the cost of converting and work out if it is the best thing to do.
Jess Steele said: “You can switch to holiday mode which allows you to assess the temperature of your home ensuring the drop in temperatures won’t cause any damage such as dampness which would not be a nice welcome home surprise.”
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This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk
