UK households are facing a dramatic increase in both the price of energy as well as inflation causing a cost-of-living crisis which may leave you wondering about what the best setting for your boiler is.
There is no getting away from the increase in costs, notifications of increasing bills from suppliers or that a pay packet is no longer stretching as far, therefore money and energy saving tips are constantly trending.
Meanwhile household routines and the settings on a combi boiler are being increasingly analysed, in order to monitor the energy used, steps that previously may not have registered a second thought.
In this guide, we will be discussing the best setting for your boiler in order to save on energy usage and of course, energy bills.
Setting the boiler timer
Letting the boiler run continuously can cost up to £140 a year according to the Energy Saving Trust and therefore it is recommended that households make use of the timer on the boiler to set a programme that works best for the household routine.
If all the property occupiers leave during the day to go to work, school or university, there is no need to keep the heating on all day for example.
Most boilers despite their age will come with a feature to set the programme of when the boiler should operate. Follow the guidance below to set the timer relevant to the type:
Standard timers
These are often traditional dial style timers. The first task would be to ensure that the timer close is set correctly. If this requires changing, turn the dial clockwise to set the current time.
To set a programme, toggle the switch to the clock setting mode, then review the pins around the outside of the dial and make any amendments as required by flicking the pins up or down.
Often each pin represents 15 minutes, therefore if the household requires the boiler to operate for an hour each morning for example, four pins would need to be up within the specific timeframe needed.
Ensure that the entire circumference of pins has been reviewed to make sure that the programme is correct. Once complete, move the switch back to ‘1’ to exit the programming mode.
If there is any doubt, check the boiler’s specific manual for further guidance or if you don’t have a copy of the manual, research the boiler model online.
Digital timers
Digital timers are mainly found on more modern boilers and usually have more scheduling options, such as a different pattern for a weekend for example.
There are many types of digital timers all with slightly differing options and control buttons therefore it is recommended to seek the specific instructions for your make and model by referring to the boiler’s specific manual in the first instance or checking online for further guidance for the specific timer make and model.
When should a boiler be set to operate?
Each household will have a variety of routines therefore there isn’t one set timing pattern that would suit everyone, however BOXT (the online boiler supplier) advises that each household should programme their boiler to run when the property is occupied, between 6.30am and 10.30pm, switching the boiler off overnight.
Most of the year in the UK, temperatures are mild enough not to worry about frozen pipes during the day or keeping household pets warm and therefore energy should be saved wherever possible including, overnight and when the human habitants are out.
Obviously there have been complications to routines during the pandemic as households were forced to stay at home both for work and studying.
Even almost two years later, routines may not have returned to pre-pandemic lifestyles and therefore setting a routine for a boiler to operate may take some trial and error. However, it may be easier to opt for a lean programme and use a ‘boost’ or ‘over-ride’ facility if needed while blended working from home routines are being established.
What temperature should a thermostat be set at?
The average home sets their thermostat to 22 degrees Celsius consistently when the boiler is in operation, however energy experts advise that this is a waste of energy.
The recommendations are that the household should trial turning down the thermostat to find a lower but comfortable level, with the knowledge that each degree the thermostat can be lowered, could save £80 a year on the household energy bill.
In addition, households can try changing the temperature setting depending on the activities undertaken such as exercising or doing the housework would burn up a sweat therefore the heating can be turned down or even off.
Similarly, when out the thermostat can be turned right down to prevent the boiler kicking in as per the set programme, when the house is unoccupied.
Another variation to try is a daytime and night-time temperature, which may reduce energy usage and therefore energy costs. Trial and error may be best to find the most appropriate settings for your family’s routine and tolerances of lower home temperatures.
Installing smart boiler controls
Another method of reducing the energy consumption is to install smart boiler controls that can automate the sequencing of temperature setting.
Smart Home Thermostats are devices that monitor household usage habits, providing data which can be used to set the most economical heating programmes.
The devices connect to the internet and can be both manually controlled remotely and reprogramed via an app on a smart phone or tablet.
Energy savings can sometimes be achieved by controlling the heating system more precisely for example delaying the programmed timer if running late, however energy savings are not guaranteed as the actual energy usage depends on user requirements.
Smart home technology devices are not linked to your energy provider, and therefore can be installed within most properties with no utility provider switch required.
The range of smart boiler controls has grown over recent years with a more competitive market, offering a range of makes and models with differing settings and other features including draught detection, hot water controls, holiday settings and zonal controls utilising virtual boundaries to control specific rooms or zones within the property.
Devices range in prices between brands but are typically between £150 and £280 each depending on the brand and model desired.
Summary
As UK households feel increased pressure on their budgets due to increases in many essentials from food to petrol, household energy is set to increase dramatically over the next few months and years due to the escalating costs in wholesale energy, and therefore many households are seeking ways to mitigate the surge in costs by reducing their energy consumption.
We have been discussing a number of methods of scaling back energy usage from managing the boiler programme more precisely, to turning down the thermostat.
We have also acknowledged that the pandemic may still be impacting household routines, with continued working from home for many households or occupations and therefore a lean approach with the base boiler programme could be applied, plus trial and error of topping up as needed via boosting the heating if needed.
We have also discussed the option of installing smart controls. Although there will be set up costs to consider when purchasing the smart device itself, the technology can provide a useful insight into the current energy usage from the analytic reports, as well as more accessible controls to manage the heating system remotely via a smart device app in order to reduce the wasted energy from heating an empty house for example.
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