6 common heating mistakes wasting your money – and how to avoid them
Keeping your home warm at the start of the new year can take up a large chunk of your energy bills, and even small mistakes can end up costing you more than you realise.
For example, you might be tempted to crank the thermostat up high for the whole day, or you could be unknowingly relying on an electric heater that isn’t efficient. Heating unused rooms or blocking radiators with furniture can also push costs up.
Below, we’ve rounded up some common heating mistakes that waste your money, plus simple, practical ways to avoid them and keep your home warm for less.
1. Turning the thermostat up too high
At a glance: Turning the thermostat up won’t heat your home faster and instead just makes the heating stay on longer.
For most central heating systems, turning your thermostat higher won't heat your home any faster. It sets the temperature you want to reach, rather than making your heating work more quickly.
If you set the temperature to 25°C instead of 20°C, for example, you’re not increasing the speed at which the system runs. You’re simply setting it to stay on for longer. This means your boiler keeps working until that higher temperature is reached, even though most homes feel comfortable at lower settings.
You can potentially cut your energy bills by finding the lowest temperature you feel comfortable with and using that as your regular setting. Using a timer, either built into your heating controls or through a smart thermostat, can also help ensure your heating is only on when you need it (See also: Best smart thermostats).
While lowering your thermostat can help cut costs, it’s important not to let your home get too cold. The NHS recommends heating your home to at least 18°C, and not below 16°C for older people or those with impaired mobility.
If you want to understand how your thermostat and radiator valves should work together, read our guide on avoiding a common radiator mistake.
2. Heating rooms you rarely use
At a glance: Heating empty spaces wastes energy and pushes your bills up.
This is an easy change to make if you’re looking to cut your energy bills. There’s no point heating a space you’re not using, and doing so can increase how much energy your heating system uses, especially in homes with poor insulation (See also: How to insulate your home).
Radiators in unused rooms, such as spare bedrooms or storage spaces, will still draw heat from your boiler, so try to get into the habit of turning them down.
Investing in a smart radiator valve can also help. These give you room-by-room control via an app on your smartphone, allowing you to turn down heating in unused spaces while keeping living areas comfortable.
It’s also worth thinking about how long your heating is on. Leaving it running all day can mean you’re heating empty rooms for hours, with your boiler working harder than necessary to maintain the set temperature. Using timers or schedules can help avoid this.
We've tested a selection of smart radiator valves and ranked them on ease of use and features – see our guide to the best smart radiator valves.
3. Placing furniture in front of radiators
At a glance: Blocking radiators stops heat from circulating properly, which can make your heating run for longer and cost more.
You might be tempted to hide an unsightly radiator to save space or make your room look neater, but it’s generally not a good idea.
Despite the name, radiators mainly heat rooms through air circulation. Cold air around the radiator is warmed up, rises and spreads around the room, while cooler air moves in to take its place. If a radiator is blocked by furniture, curtains or a cabinet, that warm air can't circulate properly.
When heat is trapped behind sofas, beds or cabinets instead of reaching the room, your home can feel colder even with the heating on. This often means your heating stays on for longer as it tries to reach the temperature set on your thermostat, leading to wasted energy and higher bills.
If you want your radiators to work efficiently, keep the space around them as clear as possible. Even moving furniture a short distance away can help heat circulate more freely and improve comfort without increasing your energy use.
You could also consider fitting radiator reflector panels, which sit behind the radiator and help reflect heat back into the room. These are fairly inexpensive (around £20 on Amazon) and easy to fit.
4. Using a poor electric heater
At a glance: Which? testing proves that some models are expensive to run and average at heating up your room.
Not all electric heaters are equal, so it pays to check in with our reviews. While some are cheap to buy initially (we’ve tested options for as little as £25), a high cost per hour and poor heating performance mean they can end up pushing your energy bills up.
On a mission to uncover the best options for your budget, we've tested models from big-name brands including DeLonghi, Dyson, John Lewis and Pro Breeze. For each one, we've assessed the running costs, heating performance and ease of use.
Our top-scoring electric heater heats a room quickly for around 50p an hour and is easy to use. Meanwhile, one of the lowest-scoring models offered only average heating performance while costing around 66p an hour to run.
To use your electric heater frugally, our experts suggest using it alongside your central heating rather than instead of it. Keeping your home heated at a low, steady baseline and using an electric heater only in the room you are in, and only during the coldest periods, can be a more efficient approach. You can also start the heater on a lower setting and only turn the heat up when you need to, which can help keep running costs down (See also: Are electric heaters eco friendly?).
See our guide to the best electric heaters for efficient, affordable warmth.
5. Not checking your boiler pressure
At a glance: Low boiler pressure can stop radiators from heating up properly, leading to inefficient heating and higher energy bills.
On many boilers, you can check the pressure using the gauge on the front of the unit. When the system is cold, this is usually between 1.0 and 2.0 bar, though you should always check your manufacturer’s instructions.
In cases where the pressure drops below 1.0 bar, your boiler might need repressurising. Some systems allow you to do this yourself using the filling loop, but only if the manufacturer’s guidance says it's safe to do so. If you're unsure, contact your boiler manufacturer or a qualified heating engineer.
If the pressure drops again soon after being topped up, it could indicate a leak somewhere in the system. In this case, you should contact a qualified heating engineer, such as one vetted by Which? Trusted Traders, to investigate and fix the problem.
An annual boiler service can help keep your boiler running efficiently and spot potential problems early.
When to call out an engineer
Boilers involve complex parts, gas, hot water and electricity and you should always call out a Gas Safe registered heating engineer for:
- Any repair inside the boiler – you shouldn't be taking the casing off
- Anything to do with the gas supply or the gas meter itself
- Changing the valves on a radiator – you can replace the plastic part of a TRV yourself, but anything else should be looked at by a professional
- Recharging the heating cylinder
- Anything that involves electricals.
In the event your boiler needs a repair, read our guide on common boiler problems and repair costs to make sure you're not paying over the odds.
6. Ignoring draughts and poor insulation
At a glance: These issues let heat escape, meaning your heating has to work harder.
Even if you’ve configured your home heating correctly, draughts can make your home feel colder than it should.
Gaps around doors, windows, floors and loft hatches allow warm air to escape and cold air to creep in, forcing your heating to run for longer to maintain a comfortable temperature. Don't forget the loft hatch, letter box and keyholes, either (See also: How to draughtproof your home).
Poor insulation has a similar effect. If your home lacks adequate loft, wall or floor insulation, it can lose heat quickly, meaning a chunk of the energy you pay for never gets a chance to warm your living space.
The good news is that you don't always need to take on major building work to see an improvement. Low-effort jobs such as fitting letterbox brushes (around £5 on Amazon), blocking unused chimneys and adding thick curtains or rugs can all help keep heat in and make your home feel warmer.
If you want to go a step further, topping up loft insulation is one of the most effective ways to reduce heat loss, as a significant amount of warmth escapes through the roof in uninsulated homes.
One thing to do this weekend to boost your insulation – find out how to improve your insulation and cut your energy costs no matter what your enthusiasm level is.
