ENERGY bills have soared for millions but making a few thermostat changes can save you hundreds of pounds.
The government introduced the energy price guarantee – a discount on bills – in October.
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It means the average household is paying around £2,500 a year for their bills.
Of course, you may pay less or more depending on your usage.
But families are still facing much higher costs compared to the same time last year and many are looking to save where possible.
And making just a few thermostat tweaks can help cut bills by up to £470, according to Harland Guscott.
The boiler expert from Guscott Heating Services has revealed a number of helpful tips that could save you money.
Some only take a few minutes too.
Of course, you could save more or less than £470 based on how much energy you use, the size of your house and any current thermostat settings.
Check your thermostat temperature is correct
We all know the lower your thermostat, the less you have to fork out on bills.
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But thermostats don’t always give accurate temperature readings, especially if they’re old.
And it could mean you think you’re paying for the heating to be on at 20 degrees when it’s really 18.
To get around this, use a thermometer to make sure temperatures match up.
You can buy thermometers for as cheap as £2.99 online.
Harland said: “Put the thermometer next to the thermostat to check that the reading on the thermometer is the same as the thermostat.
“We have found that old ones are two or three degrees out which could be costing you money.”
A thermostat might be giving an inaccurate reading if the temperature sensor is off.
Cleaning the inside of the thermostat might fix the issue but if this doesn’t work you might have to re-calibrate your sensor which will need to be done by a professional.
Or, you could get a new thermostat installed, which can cost hundreds of pounds depending on which type you need.
You could always try just lowering the thermostat manually if you don’t want to fork out for repairs, but obviously you won’t get an accurate reading.
It comes after people only just started realising moving your thermostat could slash your energy bill by hundreds of pounds.
Think about your timer settings
Martin Lewis has debunked the theory having your heating on low and continuously is the cheapest way to stay warm.
And it’s backed up by a study by charity Nesta which found heating your home for short periods uses 14% less gas.
That saves the average home around £130 to £150 compared to leaving the heating on low constantly.
But, Garland warned, this might not always be the case.
“Bear in mind each house is different – it is best to try out different methods in your household to see which works best.”
You can track how much any changes are making to your bills with a smart control that shows you how much you’re paying in real time.
Install a room thermostat
A room thermostat has a sensor inside that tells your boiler to turn off when a preset desired temperature is reached in a specific room.
If it goes below the desired temperature, your boiler will flick back on.
They’re ideal if you want to set different temperatures in different areas of your home.
But you’ll need one in each room to get the most accurate readings.
Room thermostats are different to a non-programmable thermostats that control the overall heating in your home.
You can get room thermostat kits from around £100.
But it means you don’t have to tweak the thermostat yourself and will save money by not having the boiler working unnecessarily.
Harland said: “I would recommend having at least a programmable room thermostat which enables you to set times and temperatures according to your day and schedules.
“The more precise you are, the greater saving you can make.”
Upgrade to a smart control thermostat
If you want to up your thermostat game, you can upgrade to a smart control model.
They work on Wi-Fi and can be used to remotely control your home temperature via a smartphone, tablet or computer.
But bear in mind you’ll have to get yours installed by a trained professional.
Costs can start around £150 and the thermostat itself will set you back about £150.
But if you’ve got the money to hand, it could save you hundreds long-term.
Harland said: “The next level to a programmable room thermostat is having a smart control that utilises weather compensation which can save between 10% to 30% on your heating bill.”
Uswitch says the average gas bill in the UK as of October 2022 was £1,239 a year.
A 30% saving on that is £371 and your savings will go up from April when the energy price guarantee is extended.
So if you spend £300 on buying an installing a smart control thermometer, you could make the money back plus an extra £71 within a year.
Of course, the exact saving you’ll get will depend on how big your home is and what your usual energy usage is.
Turn your thermostat down
It might seem simple enough that turning your thermostat down will save money.
But you might not be aware even the slightest change can save you a decent amount.
Shifting it down one degree will save you around £80 to £120 a year.
That works out at £240 a year if you take it down by two degrees.
Harland said: “Turning your heating thermostat down will always save money.”
It might not be possible to turn your thermostat down if you have a health condition that requires your home to be at a certain temperature though.
But there is help to cover extra costs.
In other news, shoppers are rushing to Aldi to bag Prime Energy drinks.
Plus, McDonald’s has announced a major change to its menus.
