As winter approaches and the cold sets in, many will be reaching for the thermostat to keep their home warm. Temperatures have taken a dip in recent weeks as many households will now have turned on their central heating.
However, a heating expert has issued a warning about turning thermostats up straight away. They have revealed turning up the thermostat might actually not make as much of a difference as you would hope. Dominic Lees-Bell, a heating expert at Only Radiators, has explained why turning up your thermostat won’t make your home hotter.
He said: “Most people are still in a Victorian mindset and, during cold weather, they crank up the heat. And while that is a perfectly reasonable course of action, it’s not what your thermostat does.
“Your thermostat is, instead, a limiter, not an accelerator. A minimum and a maximum temperature limiter rolled into one. If you’re cold and you turn your thermostat up to 30C in an attempt to make your home hotter.
“You’re essentially saying to your boiler, ‘you couldn’t reach 20C, so give 30C a try’ with the rate of heating staying the same.”
Dominic added: “It’s like someone telling you to run 20 miles. Yet when you flop at 10 miles they instead move the finish line to 30 miles away instead.”
He urged people to be patient and allow the central heating to simply do its job.
Plus with each degree you turn the thermostat up by, you could be adding to your bill. Expert Dominic said: “As we go into another winter with the cost of living crisis still predominant, many of us will feel the effect of the increase in energy prices.
“Although there’s no hefty solution, maintaining the thermostat at a regular temperature can certainly help cut down on some costs.”
The ideal minimum temperature you should heat your home is 18C if you are a healthy adult, and anything under 15C is far too cold. Keeping your home between 18C and 21C is the perfect balance of cosy and efficient.
As well as being good for your health, there is also a benefit to your bank balance as this setting can usually save you up to 15% on your energy bills.
