Staying Warm for Less: Practical Ways to Lower Heating Costs

For many households, heating is the single largest energy cost of the year. When winter bills arrive, the temptation is either to switch the heating off and shiver, or to accept the cost and hope for a mild season. Neither is necessary. Most homes can be kept comfortable for noticeably less money by heating them more intelligently, keeping the warmth inside for longer, and adjusting a few daily habits.

This guide covers the measures that cost nothing, those that cost a little, and when it is worth considering larger improvements. Every home and heating system is different, so check your appliance manuals and local energy-efficiency advice, and use a qualified professional for any work on gas or heating systems.

Start with how your heating works

It is hard to save on heating without understanding your controls. Common systems include gas or oil boilers with radiators, electric storage heaters, heat pumps, electric panel heaters and district heating. Each responds best to different strategies:

• Boilers with radiators are usually controlled by a programmer or timer, a room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) on individual radiators.
• Heat pumps generally work most efficiently running steadily at a lower flow temperature, rather than being switched on and off in short bursts. Follow the installer's or manufacturer's guidance.
• Storage heaters charge overnight on cheaper electricity (where a time-of-use tariff applies) and release heat during the day; their input and output controls need setting correctly.
• Electric panel and fan heaters are often expensive to run per unit of heat, so they are best for heating a small space briefly.

If you are unsure what you have or how its controls work, the manual (often available online by model number) is the best place to start.

Free changes that make a difference

Turn the thermostat down a little

The room thermostat sets the temperature your home is heated to. Many energy-advice bodies note that turning it down by a single degree can noticeably reduce heating bills over a winter, often by several percent. Most people find a setting somewhere around 18–21°C comfortable in living areas, but needs differ. Older people, babies and people with certain health conditions may need a warmer home; health agencies in many countries recommend keeping living rooms adequately warm for vulnerable people.

Try lowering the thermostat by one degree, live with it for a week, and see whether anyone notices.

Heat the hours you need

A programmer or timer lets you heat the home only when people are there and awake. Common patterns:

• On shortly before getting up, off when everyone leaves.
• On shortly before people return, off about half an hour before bedtime — homes usually stay warm enough for a while after the heating stops.

For boiler systems, heating only when needed is generally cheaper than leaving the heating on low all day. Heat pumps are an exception: they often run most efficiently with longer, steadier operation, so follow your system's guidance.

Use radiator valves to heat rooms you use

Thermostatic radiator valves let each room find its own temperature. Turn them down in rooms that are rarely used, such as a spare bedroom, and keep doors to those rooms closed. Bedrooms can usually be cooler than living rooms. Avoid turning radiators completely off in very cold weather in rooms prone to damp, as this can encourage condensation and mould.

Let radiators breathe

Furniture placed directly in front of a radiator and long curtains draped over it trap heat where it cannot warm the room. Move sofas a little away from radiators, tuck curtains behind them, and avoid drying large amounts of washing directly on radiators, which adds moisture to the air and makes the boiler work harder.

Use curtains and blinds strategically

Windows lose a lot of heat. Close curtains and blinds at dusk to keep warmth in, and open them in the morning to let any sunshine warm the room. Thicker or lined curtains make a bigger difference.

Dress for the season

It sounds obvious, but wearing layers indoors — a jumper, warm socks, slippers — allows the whole household to feel comfortable at a lower thermostat setting. Thermal underlayers are inexpensive and very effective. A blanket on the sofa does more for comfort than an extra degree on the thermostat.

Low-cost improvements

Draught-proofing

Gaps around doors, windows, letterboxes, loft hatches and floorboards let warm air escape and cold air in. Draught-proofing is one of the cheapest and most effective improvements in many homes. Self-adhesive foam strips, brush strips for doors, letterbox brushes, keyhole covers and chimney balloons (for unused chimneys) are inexpensive and usually easy to fit. Our dedicated guide to draught-proofing explains the details.

Do not block ventilation that a room needs, such as air bricks, trickle vents or vents in rooms with fuel-burning appliances. Combustion appliances need air to work safely.

Radiator reflector panels

Thin reflective panels fitted behind radiators on external walls reflect some heat back into the room instead of letting it soak into the wall. They are inexpensive and most useful on uninsulated external walls.

Rugs and floor coverings

Bare floorboards and hard floors can feel cold and lose heat through gaps. Rugs make rooms feel warmer underfoot and reduce draughts through floorboard gaps.

Bleeding radiators

If a radiator is cold at the top and warm at the bottom, air may be trapped inside. Releasing it — "bleeding" the radiator with a radiator key while the heating is off and the radiator is cool — can restore its output. If radiators need frequent bleeding, or the system pressure drops, ask a heating engineer to check it.

Boiler settings

On many modern condensing boilers, the flow temperature (the temperature of the water sent to the radiators) is set higher than necessary. Some energy-advice organisations suggest that lowering it can help the boiler run more efficiently, while still heating the home adequately. Whether this suits your system depends on the boiler type, your radiators and whether the boiler also heats a hot-water cylinder, so check the manufacturer's guidance or ask a qualified heating engineer. Never alter anything inside the boiler casing yourself.

Hot water

Hot water often comes from the same system as heating. Insulating a hot-water cylinder with a well-fitting jacket, if it is not already insulated, and insulating accessible hot-water pipes reduce heat loss. Take shorter showers and avoid running hot taps unnecessarily.

Bigger improvements worth considering

Some measures cost more but can reduce heating needs for decades:

• Loft insulation, often one of the most cost-effective measures in homes with an accessible loft.
• Cavity wall insulation for suitable homes with unfilled cavity walls.
• Solid wall insulation, internal or external, for older homes — more expensive and disruptive.
• Floor insulation beneath suspended timber floors.
• Better windows or secondary glazing.
• Upgraded heating controls, such as smart thermostats or zoning.
• A more efficient heating system, such as a modern condensing boiler or a heat pump, when the existing system needs replacing.

Many governments, local authorities and energy companies run schemes that help pay for insulation or heating upgrades, especially for lower-income households. Check what is available where you live before paying the full cost.

Heating the person, not the whole house

When only one person is home, it can be cheaper to keep them warm rather than heat every room. An electric blanket, a heated throw or a hot-water bottle uses far less energy than central heating for a whole house, though electric heated products should be used according to their safety instructions. A small, efficient heater in a single room can also make sense for short periods, depending on your energy prices and system — compare the running cost using the appliance's wattage and your electricity tariff.

Always prioritise safety: never use outdoor heaters or ovens to heat a room, never cover heaters, and ensure fuel-burning appliances are serviced and that a working carbon monoxide alarm is fitted where required.

Understand your tariff and usage

• Read your bills. Know how much you pay per unit of gas or electricity and any standing charge.
• Submit meter readings so bills reflect what you actually use, or use a smart meter if available.
• Compare tariffs if your market allows switching.
• Check for help. In many countries there are winter payment schemes, discounts or grants for older people, people on low incomes or people with certain health conditions.

Damp, condensation and health

Saving money should never come at the cost of a cold, damp home. Cold homes encourage condensation and mould, which can harm health and damage property. Keep homes adequately heated, ventilate kitchens and bathrooms while cooking and showering, wipe condensation from windows in the morning, and open windows briefly when drying clothes indoors. If you or someone in your home is vulnerable to cold, contact your energy supplier or local authority about support.

A winter checklist

1. Learn your heating controls and set the timer to match your routine.
2. Lower the thermostat by one degree and see how it feels.
3. Turn down radiators in unused rooms and close their doors.
4. Pull furniture away from radiators and tuck curtains behind them.
5. Close curtains at dusk and open them in daylight.
6. Fit draught excluders to doors, windows and letterboxes.
7. Bleed radiators and check system pressure.
8. Insulate the hot-water cylinder and accessible pipes.
9. Layer up indoors and keep blankets handy.
10. Check whether you qualify for grants or winter support.

The bottom line

Lowering heating costs is mostly about control and containment: heating the right rooms at the right times to a sensible temperature, and stopping the warmth from escaping. Start with the free changes this week, add inexpensive draught-proofing, and look into insulation support for the longer term. A comfortable home and a smaller bill are entirely compatible.