Six ways to keep your heating costs down

Managing energy costs is tricky right now - to say the least - and it's just not possible to make big bill savings. But taking care of how you use your heating, and keeping your boiler and heating system in good working order, may help reduce the sting of higher energy costs.

With the energy price cap rising, most people in the UK will be waking up to record high energy prices come 1 October. 

In normal times, we'd recommend switching to a cheaper energy deal. But these aren't normal times, and decent energy deals are in short supply. 

Which? is calling on the government to increase financial support and urgently review energy pricing. But in the meantime, we're also using our appliance and product knowledge to look for ways that people at home can have control over their energy use and get bills as low as possible.

Heating makes up a big proportion of most homes' energy bills. So we've got six tips to help ensure your heating system is working as efficiently as possible to keep energy use and costs to a minimum.

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Getting familiar with your boiler is just one way to keep costs down; read our fuller round-up of ways to reduce energy bills or head to our cost of living tips and advice

1. Adjust your thermostat down - especially on milder days

We know - it's the one everyone's familiar with. But it's worth repeating.

The NHS recommends you heat your home to at least 18 degrees, and that it should certainly not below 16 degrees for elderly people and those with impaired mobility.

But with the average UK thermostat set to 20°C, there is some wiggle room to reduce your thermostat's set temperature, and reduce your energy use, if you set it high out of habit rather than necessity.

On milder autumn days, nudging your thermostat down will reduce your energy bills.

The Energy Saving Trust says that every degree you increase your temperature by could up your heating bill by 10%. So turning it down just by one degree could make for some significant savings.

One key tip: If you're able to, try turning your thermostat down to 18°C and then slowly cranking it up a degree at a time and reassessing what feels comfortable, rather than starting on a high temperature.

2. Check your system's pressure

Low boiler pressure can cause your radiators to not warm up efficiently, leading to inefficient heating and higher bills.

This check is quick to carry out. Just locate the gauge on the front of your boiler. The indicator should normally be between 1.0 and 2.0 bar (often highlighted green) but check the recommended pressure in the manufacturer's instructions.

If the gauge is below 1.0 bar (often coloured red) then the pressure needs increasing. If your boiler instructions say so, you can do this yourself by using the boiler's filling loop, follow the manuals instructions.

If you're unsure, contact your boiler manufacturer's technical department or a qualified heating engineer. After this, you should find your radiators start heating up quicker.

If you find, however, that the pressure drops again soon after you've increased it, it most likely means there's a leak. In this case you should contact a qualified heating engineer, such as those vetted by Which? Trusted Traders, to diagnose and fix the issue.

One key tip: If you've not yet had a boiler service this year, it's a good idea to book one in. Your engineer will be able to help you get your boiler operating at its most efficient. 

3. Make sure your radiators are heating up

The whole body of a radiator should get hot. If it doesn't, then you won't be heating your home efficiently. You'll have your heating on for longer with your boiler working harder, and higher energy bills.

Where a radiator is cold when it should be hot, it is often a sign of an underlying issue:

• Radiator is cold at the top - the radiator likely needs bleeding
• Radiator is cold at the bottom - there is likely a build up of sludge and the heating system needs to be cleaned out by an engineer. When they do this they should add a central heating inhibitor - a chemical liquid that protects against sludge build up in the future.
• A specific radiator is colder, or heating up slower, than others - it is likely that your radiators need to be balanced.

You can bleed radiators yourself, so this is a quick fix that won't cost you anything upfront.

If your system needs cleaning or balancing it is best to call out an engineer to carry this out - boiler engineers may be able to do this for you as part of a service. 

While this will cost some money upfront, in most cases, the boiler can then be run at a lower temperature, increasing efficiency and saving you money in the long run.

One key tip: Make sure you bleed your radiators when you turn your heating back on this autumn

For more information: how to balance and bleed your radiators

4. Make sure the space around radiators is clear

Despite being called 'radiators', radiators actually work by convection. The cold air surrounding and between gaps in the radiator is heated up. This newly warm air rises up and spreads around the room, and cool air then moves in to take its place. This cycle of moving air is called a convection current.

If the radiators are blocked it means air cannot easily be circulated around the room, so your heating will be on for longer than necessary to get the room up to temperature.

You can reduce your heating costs by ensuring each radiator in your home is able to circulate heat properly. For example, moving furniture away from them, not using radiator cabinets to disguise them, and making sure they're not hidden behind curtains.

It's a simple tip that may be obvious to some, but can also be a quick-win that's easily overlooked.

One key tip: Make sure your radiators have space to work

5. Get better heating controls

While many people may already have a thermostat, timer or programmer (or some combination of the three), if they're a bit outdated, then upgrading your technology could give you more control over when heating is on and off, and can dramatically reduce your energy use if you find you often forget to turn it off.

Room thermostats

A room thermostat measures the temperature of the room that it is placed in, and turns the boiler on and off to maintain its set temperature. It is very useful to make sure you don't overheat your home, and waste energy.

If used alongside a timer or programmer, a thermostat can also prevent your heating coming on unnecessarily. For example, let's say you like your home to be 19°C, and your timer is set for the heating to come on between 8-10am. But it's an unseasonably balmy morning, and the temperature in your home is already 20°C.

Without a thermostat the heating would still come on for two hours and heat your home when it was already warm enough. 

But a thermostat set to 19°C would tell the boiler 'it is already above 19°C, so don't heat the home', leaving your home at a comfortable temperature and avoiding having your heating on for no reason.

If you've already got a thermostat working, the next step is to install thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) around your home. These are inexpensive to buy, though you'll need to have them installed by a plumber.

It might be that while you want the living room, with the thermostat in it, to be 20°C, you'd rather your bedroom stayed a cooler temperature, and there's another room - an office or spare bedroom, perhaps - that you know you're not going to be in at all and can stay colder still. With TRVs on your radiators, you can have the living room nice and warm, with the other rooms at appropriate temperatures. This can really bring down your heating costs.

Smart heating devices

While a traditional thermostat or timer may be perfectly adequate, if you have a busy and irregular lifestyle you may want to consider a smart thermostat.

These work like their traditional counterparts, but you can control and set them on the go from your smartphone, and they often offer smart energy-saving features to reduce you energy use even further.

Meanwhile smart radiator valves give you nuanced control over specific radiators - so you can programme the radiator in your living room to turn on for when you come home, but the one in your bedroom for later in the evening, for example.

Smart heating devices cost more upfront though, so make sure you'll reap the benefits a smart device offers before investing.

Read our smart thermostat reviews and smart radiator valve reviews to get the best.

One key tip: If you've already got heating controls in your home, make sure they are set up to only come on when you need them and in the rooms that need them.

You can find out more information about using heating controls in our expert guide on boiler controls and thermostats

6. Get your boiler serviced

Getting an MOT for your flags any potential issues before they become a major problem, and means your car keeps working as well as it can.

The same principle goes for heating your home. If you want your boiler to be doing its best work as efficiently as it can, it needs to be kept in top working order.

An annual service will ensure your boiler remains within warranty, and your heating system performs efficiently.

A one-off boiler service should cost around £86 on average, according to our Trusted Traders, but having one also helps reduce the odds of a part breaking unexpectedly and lumping you with a large repair cost and potentially no heating.

Our 2021 boiler survey of 8,001 boiler owners found the odds of your boiler breaking in its first six years double when it isn't serviced annually.

One key tip: When you get your boiler serviced, ask your engineer to check that it is working efficiently. Making changes to its flow temperature, for example, could lower your bills straight away.

Read our advice on getting the best boiler service to find out how much you should be paying

When to call out an engineer

Boilers involve complex parts, gas, hot water and electricity.

While we've outlined some steps you can take yourself to reduce energy use, you should always call out a Gas Safe registered heating engineer for:

• Any repair inside the boiler - you shouldn't be taking the casing off
• Anything to do with the gas supply or gas meter itself
• Changing the valves on a radiator - you can replace the plastic part of a TRV yourself, but anything else should be looked at by a professional
• Recharging the heating cylinder
• Anything that involves electricals.

In the event your boiler needs a repair, read our guide on common boiler problems and repair costs to make sure you're not paying over the odds.

If your boiler is old and problem-prone, buying a new one with lower running costs and that's less likely to break could save you money in the long run. Head over to our roundup of Best Buy boilers.

Whose responsibility is it to fix a boiler in a rental property?

When it comes to boilers, it isn't always clear what tenants are responsible for.

It is always best to check your own tenancy agreement, but, in general, tenants are expected to use their boiler and heating in the right way, and report any issues or faults to their landlord.

So make sure the heating is set to an appropriate temperature, check the system pressure and bleed the radiators if needed.

However, your landlord is responsible for:

• Making sure the boiler is serviced annually
• Repairs to the boiler and gas pipes

So, if you discover an issue with your boiler that would require calling out an engineer, contact your landlord straight away.

Check out our guide to tenants' rights. Shelter also has more information on landlord and tenant responsibilities for repairs.