British Gas is urging households to reduce one setting on their boiler and get £65 a year off their gas bill.
The energy firm has a raft of advice for customers on how to cut their energy bills this winter, just as bills are increasing by another 10 percent.
British Gas says that ‘reducing your boiler flow temperature’ to between 55 and 60 degrees could cut £65 a year from your gas bill.
This isn’t the same as turning down your thermostat, and is in fact a different setting on your boiler – and isn’t the same setting as hot water either.
The Heating Hub explains: “A recent study by Nesta* found that households can save around 9% in gas just by dialling down the heating flow temperature on their condensing combi boiler. To be clear, this is not turning down your thermostat.
“Nearly all combi boilers are not optimised to run as efficiently as they should, which increases household gas bills and emits more carbon. Reducing the operating temperature for heating will help your boiler run more efficiently without reducing your comfort.
“The ‘flow temperature’ is the temperature your boiler heats up the water to before sending it off to your radiators. Most gas boilers are set up to operate at what is called 80/60 flow and return temperatures. This means the boiler heats up the water (called ‘the flow’) to 80°C. The water returns to the boiler after travelling around all your radiators (called ‘the return’) at 60°C, having given off 20°C to the room.
“However 80/60 flow and return temperatures are too high for a condensing gas boiler to achieve the A-rated efficiencies shown ‘on-the-box’. It is a little know fact that modern boilers have a variable efficiency between A-E, in other words they are not A-rated out of the box. Studies have found most to be C-E-Rated in the home, equivalent to just 75-85% efficiency.”
To reduce the flow temperature, there should be a dial or setting in the menus, depending on your boiler’s age, and instructions in your manufacturer’s guide.
