HOUSEHOLDS will start to guzzle through more energy as temperatures drop and the heating goes on but easy mistakes with the thermostat will cost you.
The cost of warming and powering homes is rising with the energy price cap leaping 10% from £1,568 to £1,717 on October 1.
However, the exact amount you’ll pay for your energy bill depends on how much you use.
It means that it’s more important to make sure you are being as efficient as possible with energy.
Heating your home is one of the biggest costs of energy bills over the colder months.
Thermostats control the temperature of your home by linking to your boiler.
The heating is triggered to come on when the temperature dips below that set on the thermostat.
It’s not surprising that people try many different tricks to try make their home warmer for less.
However, there are some common mistakes that people make with the thermostat that piles the pounds on to annual bills.
When you come home and it’s freezing cold outside, you just want your pad to be instantly toasty.
Turning up the dial on the thermostat can seem like a good way to hurry things along – but sadly that’s not how it works.
Nancy Emery, heating expert at online retailer Tap Warehouse, says: “A thermostat works as a limiter and not an accelerator, so turning it up in a bid to quickly heat your home won’t work…
“By turning your thermostat up, you’re essentially asking your heating to reach a higher temperature which could take longer, around an hour or so per degree increase.
“This just means your home will reach its optimal temperature in a set amount of time, and then go beyond costing you more money on your energy bills in the process. “
Setting the thermostat higher than needed means you are more likely to let the home overheat which will hammer your bills.
It’s estimated that you can save around 10% off your bill with every one degree the heating is turned down, according to the Energy Saving Trust.
The average fuel bill is now going to stand at £1,717 from October 1 meaning that if you crank the heating even two degrees higher and forget to put it back down you could add an extra £343 to your bill.
Nancy adds: “With the worry of the new energy price cap that’s looming, the best thing to do is to maintain your thermostat at a regular temperature to help keep costs down.”
There is a belief that leaving your heating on low all day is cheaper than having it on for a few hours in the evening or morning at a higher temperature.
The Energy Saving Trust says that if you have a boiler, this isn’t true.
You will use more energy, which will ultimately cost you more money.
It’s more energy efficient, and better for your bills, to have your boiler come on when you need it.
With the average cost of gas central heating is around £1.68 an hour, according to Check-a-trade.com.
If you have the heating on for just one extra hour a day over a month that will cost you an extra £50.
And if you were to do it every day during the coldest months December to February, you’re looking at a total added £150.
However, there is an exception to this rule and that is if you have a heat pump.
The Energy Saving Trust says that it can be more beneficial to run a heat pump all day.
Many people try to make the most of having the heating on by drying clothes on radiators.
However, this can trick your thermostat into having the heating on for longer.
This is because when you put clothes on the radiator it blocks the heat coming out making it take longer for the room to reach the desired degree.
The heating will stay on until rooms reach the set temperature.
It means that if you have the heating on for an extra hour at £1.68 three times a week over 12 weeks when the weather is cold, you’re looking at around an extra £60 added to your bill.
As well as clothes, furniture can block heat from circulating in a room. So make sure there is plenty of space between radiators and sofas or beds, for example.
If your thermostat is in the wrong place you could end up paying hundreds of pounds more in energy bills.
Thermostats monitor when your home has reached the temperature you want, and can be used to turn the heating up or down.
But if the thermostat is in a colder part of the house, it could be reporting that the temperature is lower than it really is in the rest of the home.
This means your heating is working harder than necessary.
You can read more about how that affects your bills here.
It’s not just the thermostat that dictates the cost of heating.
There are lots of things you can do to help keep your home warm on a budget.
Putting reflective foil behind your radiator helps to reflect heat back into the room. You can get special packs fro around £10 or even using regular aluminium foil can help.
Check your radiators for any cold patches and bleed them if so. This will will help rooms heat evenly and efficiently and avoid overworking your boiler.
Give your radiators a good dust so that heat can move freely through the room.
Use thermostatic valves to control the heating in each room of your home.
In spare bedrooms or lesser used rooms, turn the heating right down or off to avoid heating spaces with no one in.
Turning down your boiler’s flow temperature can also help cut bills.
Reducing draughts will also help your home to stop losing heat keeping it much toastier – draught excluders cost from around £5 and will help stop cooler air entering through gaps and crevices.
THERE'S a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you're struggling to get by.
If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter.
This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period.
If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don’t think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.
Several energy firms have grant schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills.
But eligibility criteria varies depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.
For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £2,000.
British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund.
You don’t need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund.
EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too.
Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR).
The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill, and some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you’re struggling.
Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.
