With the UK facing a cold snap and possible snowfall, Martin Lewis, founder of Money Saving Expert and trusted personal finance authority, has shared his top tips for saving money on heating. Speaking on his ITV show, Lewis highlighted three essential heating strategies everyone should use to lower their bills significantly.
First, he encourages viewers to take his “1 degree challenge” by lowering their thermostat by just one degree. According to Lewis, the World Health Organization recommends a minimum indoor temperature of 18 degrees for healthy adults. If your thermostat is set at 21 degrees, reducing it to 20 could cut your heating bill by around 10%. “Don’t think about heating from 0 to 20 degrees,” Lewis explains. “Think about heating from 15 to 20 degrees — lowering that by one degree really adds up.”
Lewis also warns against the common habit of turning the thermostat up higher during cold spells to heat the house faster. He stresses that the thermostat simply maintains the set temperature and turning it up won’t warm your home any quicker—it just raises your bill.
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Another key tip involves “tactical curtains.” Lewis advises keeping curtains open during sunny days to let in natural warmth and closing them after dark to prevent heat from escaping. Using lined or fleece curtains enhances insulation further, and DIY lining options are inexpensive and easy to implement.
Most notably, Lewis reveals a boiler setting adjustment that could save hundreds each year. He suggests lowering your boiler’s flow temperature, which is often set higher than needed — commonly around 85 degrees. Reducing it to about 60 degrees won’t affect your home’s comfort or hot water temperature, though it might take a bit longer to reach maximum heat. This change improves efficiency and can cut around £100 off annual bills. Lewis shares the example of a viewer whose boiler temperature reduction led to significant savings without sacrificing comfort.
These straightforward adjustments to your heating system, from thermostat settings to curtain use and boiler flow rate, can add up to substantial financial savings and help keep your home comfortably warm throughout winter.