PAYING close attention to your boiler can help you cut down on your energy bills.
In fact, one small change can save UK households up to £200 this winter.
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Experts have advised UK residents to take a closer look at their boiler dials before the winter weather sets in.
According to the pros, a simple adjustment could cut annual energy bills by as much as £200.
Boiler specialists at Your NRG, the UK’s leading independent fuel distributor, shared their expertise.
They explained that many families are paying more than necessary because their central heating flow temperature is set too high.
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Around 80% of UK homes use a combi boiler, which heats water directly from the mains without a storage tank.
However, most homeowners do not realise that the flow temperature, which is the temperature of water circulating through radiators, is often set unnecessarily high.
Hidden dial
Locating the dial that controls this and reducing the setting from 75-80 degrees celcius, down to around 60 degrees can improve efficiency.
This will help to lower your bills by up to 8%, which could represent savings of around £200 a year for the average household.
But make sure you’re turning the correct dial and not confusing the flow temperature dial with the hot water temperature dial, which controls water used in taps and showers.
It is vital not to lower this dial as hot water must be stored at a minimum of 60 degrees to prevent the growth of legionella bacteria.
Adjustments should only be made to the dial marked with a radiator or thermometer symbol.
And for homes with heat-only or regular boilers that heat a separate hot water tank as well as the central heating, the advice differs.
Caution message
These boilers often have only one dial, which should never be set below 60 degrees for safety reasons.
Adjusting the central heating flow temperature on most combi boilers only takes a few minutes.
Most models have a flap at the bottom to reveal the controls, and for boilers with a pointer rather than a digital display, setting it to the 12 o’clock position usually lowers the flow temperatures to 60 degrees.
4 ways to keep your energy bills low
Laura Court-Jones, Small Business Editor at Bionic shared her tips.
1. Turn your heating down by one degree
You probably won’t even notice this tiny temperature difference, but what you will notice is a saving on your energy bills as a result. Just taking your thermostat down a notch is a quick way to start saving fast. This one small action only takes seconds to carry out and could potentially slash your heating bills by £171.70.
2. Switch appliances and lights off
It sounds simple, but fully turning off appliances and lights that are not in use can reduce your energy bills, especially in winter. Turning off lights and appliances when they are not in use, can save you up to £20 a year on your energy bills
3. Install a smart meter
Smart meters are a great way to keep control over your energy use, largely because they allow you to see where and when your gas and electricity is being used.
4. Consider switching energy supplier
No matter how happy you are with your current energy supplier, they may not be providing you with the best deals, especially if you’ve let a fixed-rate contract expire without arranging a new one. If you haven’t browsed any alternative tariffs lately, then you may not be aware that there are better options out there.
Homeowners who are unsure are advised to ask a heating engineer to make the adjustment during the next service.
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