Home-owners ponder this question each year when temperatures start dropping and it’s time to turn on the heat. However, we can only give some general advice as budgets and energy usage differ from one family home to the next.

General recommendations for winter thermostat settings:

• Whilst people are at home in the daytime, a setting between 68° F (20° C) and 72° F (22° C) depending on your personal preference, is a good guide;
• If everyone is away from home in the daytime, and whilst you’re asleep at night, we’d suggest a lower setting between 62° F (17° C) and 66° F (19° C).

Rather than getting hung up on a particular setting it’s always a good idea to think about an energy-efficient winter heating plan that will keep your home warm so you won’t have to face large energy bills. Here are a few tips.

Ensure your boiler is regularly serviced

I know you’re thinking well he would say that wouldn’t he. But the reality is an annual boiler service is essential to make sure it works safely, efficiently and is less likely to break down. And it’s important to remember that most guarantees will be invalid without this regular service.

You can easily book a boiler service with us using the enquiry box

Ease into winter to start saving

Every family has its temperature preference, but setting the thermostat to that temperature and never changing it isn’t helpful to your energy bills. So we’d suggest that you:

• Set your thermostats to your desired high temperature.
• Once you and your family acclimate to the colder weather, lower the temperature in the home by one degree each week.
• Every one-degree reduction – maintained for even eight hours – can reduce a home’s energy bill by around 1% each time.
• Lowering the temperature further and preserving these lower temperatures for longer periods of time increases those savings, and you’ll probably never notice the temperature difference with such a slow, gradual change.

Stay in control of your heating

If you have thermostatic radiator valves, make sure you turn them down or off in rooms that don’t get regular use.

The savviest homeowners realize there is no perfect temperature for every moment in their homes. Times when your home is left empty – such as work hours or traveling periods – present ideal opportunities to lower the temperature and reduce costs. One of the best ways to keep your home at just the right temperature is to install a smart control. They can be retrofitted to your existing boiler and it ensures you only use exactly the right amount of energy your home needs. It also means you can control your heating remotely – so if you’re late home, you can delay the heating coming on. After all, there’s no point wasting energy and money heating an empty home.

Just contact us via the enquiry box for further information or a quote.