Households looking to cut their energy bills are being urged to make a simple change to their boiler settings that could save them more than £100 a year.

Charity Nesta has launched a money saving boiler campaign in partnership with Which?, Energy UK, EDF, E.ON and Octopus Energy.

Nesta says households using combi boilers should set the ‘flow temperature’ lower to use energy more efficiently and save £112 a year, without compromising on the temperature of their home.

Turning your boiler's temperature down by 10C could save you over £100 a year

Turning your boiler’s temperature down by 10C could save you over £100 a year

What is a boiler’s flow temperature? 

The flow temperature is the temperature that a boiler heats radiators to, and works more efficiently if the temperature is set to 60C. However, boiler flow temperatures are often set much higher than that.

Changing the flow temperature on your boiler will not affect the temperature of the hot water from from your taps, according to Nesta. 

Instead, it means your boiler will be in ‘condensing mode’ and will recover heat that would otherwise be lost.

Households running their combi boiler at a lower temperature will need to leave the heating on for around 15 minutes longer to heat their homes. 

But Nesta’s research shows that lowering the temperature from 80C to 60C saves nine per cent of total gas use, or £112 for an average home.

How to change your boiler setting

The boiler flow temperature is different to your thermostat and is controlled by two dials or buttons on your boiler – one for heating and one for hot water.

You won’t be able to do this if you have a hot water gas tank. 

Settings tend to vary from boiler to boiler so it’s worth digging out the manual to find out how to reset yours.

Saving energy: Many households are seeking to cut their power usage as bills soar

Saving energy: Many households are seeking to cut their power usage as bills soar

The heating dial will usually have a radiator icon on it, but Nesta has created a step-by-step guide to help you through the process.

Some homes can be heated at flow temperatures of below 60C – the lower you set it, the more money you’ll save.

However, for older houses that are poorly insulated, 55C may be too cool and it might take a bit more time to heat up the room.

Nesta suggests lowering the flow temperature to 50C when it’s milder outside and raise it to 60C on the coldest days of the year. It is safe and easy to change your flow temperature multiple times over the year.

Reducing the temperature in 5C increments depending on the weather could save 12 per cent on your gas bill, which equates to around £150, according to Nesta. 

Octopus gives away electric blankets to the most vulnerable 

Octopus Energy is giving away electric blankets for free to some of its customers to help with soaring energy bills this winter.

The energy supplier says its research shows the typical home could save £300 by using an electric blanket to keep warm rather than heating the whole house.

It will give away 10,000 blankets to customers who’ll benefit the most – prioritising the elderly and those with mobility issues or other medical conditions.

Customers will need to fill out a Financial Assistance Form and provide information about how much they earn and how they spend their money.

You can register your interest in an electric blanket here.

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk

You May Also Like

It may take FIVE YEARS to unravel crisis in pension funds

It may take as long as five years to unwind toxic derivatives…

Don’t miss a trick this Halloween thanks to my tips on topical treats

HALLOWEEN might be going fright back to basics but with some great…

6 changes in May that will affect your finances next month – how to avoid them

HOUSEHOLDS could see their finances affected in a number of ways in…

UK economy shrinks in October as GDP drops by 0.3% – what it means for your money

THE UK economy shrank in October, latest figures from the Office for National…