You are using your thermostat incorrectly and it is costing you a lot of money. This is what you have to do
With temperatures turning colder and strong winds and rain hitting the UK, you’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for ways to stay warm.
While many of us reach for our thermostats in hopes of combating the cold, it turns out you’ve been using yours all wrong.
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While turning up the thermostat may seem like an attractive way to get warm this winter, it could cost you a fortune – and it won’t actually keep you warmer.
According to a heating expert from Radiators onlyyou should not set the thermostat higher when it is cold, or lower when it is warm.
Dominic Lees-Bell explained that turning up the thermostat when it’s cold won’t heat your home any faster.
The thermostat in your home tells the boiler to continue heating the house until the temperature you set is reached and to maintain this temperature.
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So if you set the temperature to 20 degrees Celsius in winter, your thermostat will heat your house to exactly that temperature.
Dominic explained that most people tend to ‘turn up the heat’ when it’s cold – something he described as a ‘wrong assumption that costs everyone a lot of money’.
While this seems completely reasonable, this is actually not how thermostats work.
He said: “Most people still have a Victorian mentality and during cold weather they turn up the heat.
“And while that’s a perfectly reasonable course of action, it’s not what your thermostat does.”
Dominic added: “Your thermostat is instead a limiter, not an accelerator. A minimum and maximum temperature limiter in one.
“If you’re cold and you set the thermostat to 30 degrees in an attempt to make your house warmer, you’re essentially saying to your boiler: ‘You couldn’t get to 20 degrees, so try 30 degrees’ with a rate of heating remains the same.
“It’s like someone telling you to run twenty miles. But if you flop at 10 miles, they move the finish line to 30 miles away.
Therefore, instead of turning up the thermostat, it is best to wait until the central heating has reached the usual temperature.
Cheap gadgets to keep you warm
MARTIN Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert shared six gadgets that can help you keep the heating off but still stay warm.
Heating “the person, not the house” means that you heat yourself instead of turning on the heat and heating the whole house.
This allows you to save money on your heating costs and you don’t have to be out in the cold.
- USB Gloves – initial cost £10, cost to use less than 1p per hour
- Heated insoles – initial cost £10, running costs less than 1p per hour
- USB hand warmers – initial cost £15, cost to use less than 1p per hour
- Electric vest – initial cost £50 (including battery pack), running costs less than 1p per hour
- Microwave wheat bag – initial cost £4, running cost less than 1p per hour
- Reusable hand warmers – initial cost £5 for a pair, running costs less than 1p per hour
Keeping the thermostat at a normal temperature can help reduce costs.
Although it may be tempting to set the thermostat to 25 degrees Celsius when it’s freezing, it can end up being too warm; and this can quickly add up and cost you a fortune if you do it regularly.
Dominic’s top tips for staying warm this winter
Instead of turning up your thermostat, Dominic shared his top tips on how to stay warm during cold weather.
Dominic advised: “Put on a sweater or a jacket.
5 Money-saving tips for autumn/winter
1. Make your home draught-free
It takes time and money to heat your home, so it’s important that you do everything you can to keep the heat in. Close your doors and windows and fill any gaps with weatherstripping.
2. Turn down your thermostat
According to Energy UK, lowering the thermostat by just one degree Celsius can reduce your heating costs by up to 10% and save you around £85 a year. And if you don’t have a thermostat, installing one can save you up to $70 per year!
3. Move furniture
Ensure that large, bulky furniture such as sofas does not block the radiators.
4. Wash clothes at a lower temperature and add extra spin cycle
Unless it is bedding, towels or very dirty items, turn the temperature down to 20 or 30 degrees and rotate the machine twice to remove excess water.
5. Heat the person, not the house
There is no point in heating up a room with no one in it, so pay close attention to which radiators are on.
“Make sure your house is fully insulated (cavity, attic, double glazing, etc.).
“Keep objects away from the top and bottom of your radiators (the bottom is just as important for good circulation).
“Close windows (but make sure each room is still adequately ventilated).
“More carpets (carpets are 60% more insulating than fiberglass, known for its insulating properties).
“Decorate with fabrics (because the fluffier fabric you have, the more heat is retained).”
