Your thermostat could be costing you hundreds on your energy bills, according to experts who have issued a warning to British Gas, OVO, EDF, EON and Octopus customers among others
UK households could be shelling out hundreds more on energy bills if their thermostat is in the wrong room, experts have warned.
It’s not just about steering clear of the hallway for your thermostat placement, according to Ben Gallizzi, an energy expert at Uswitch.com. He advised: “Deciding where to place your thermostat is important because it can affect how well your heating works.
“Placing it in a room that is colder than the rest of the house, such as a hallway, is a bad idea as it will turn on and off at the wrong times.” He explained: “For example, if you open the front door and let in cold air, then the thermostat may tell your heating system to send out more heat as it thinks the whole house is below your desired temperature.”
In a stark warning to customers of British Gas, OVO, EDF, EON and Octopus, Ben also pointed out: “Having a thermostat near to a radiator, window or in direct sunlight will also skew the readings.”
He explained that these spots are warmer, which might cause the thermostat to switch off prematurely before the entire area reaches the set temperature. The best spot for the thermostat, Ben suggested, is the room you use most, likely the living room.
“This is where it’s easiest to control the temperature, and in an area of good airflow,” he said. Ben relayed advice from the Energy Saving Trust, which recommends keeping your home heated to between 18 to 21 degrees Celsius during the winter months, , reports Birmingham Live.
“Turning down your thermostat by just one degree can reduce your energy bill by up to 10%.” In the face of Europe’s gas storage slump causing market prices to surge, millions of households are bracing for an energy bill increase greater than anticipated, about 5% from April, say analysts.
Come April, under the regulator’s price cap, the average gas and electricity bill for a standard household in Great Britain is slated to go up by £85, bumping the annual cost to £1,823.
