How to Reduce UK Home Heating Costs This Winter

1. Start With Smart Heating Controls

Good controls mean you only heat the rooms you need, when you need them, at the right temperature. That alone can cut your heating costs significantly.

Use your room thermostat correctly

• Set your main room thermostat between 18 °C and 21 °C. Every 1 °C reduction can save around 10% on heating energy.
• Avoid turning the thermostat up to "warm the house faster" – it just makes the system run longer and hotter, not quicker.
• Make sure the thermostat isn't blocked by furniture or curtains, and keep it away from draughts and direct sunlight.

Program your heating around your routine

Most UK homes have a programmer or timer on the boiler. Use it to match your heating to your lifestyle:

• Set heating to turn on 20–30 minutes before you wake up and off shortly before you leave.
• In the evening, time the heating to go off 30–60 minutes before bed. Your home will stay warm for a while without using extra energy.
• If your schedule changes, use "boost" functions rather than leaving the heating on constantly.

Consider smart thermostats and TRVs

Smart controls can add another level of savings and comfort:

• Smart thermostats let you control your heating from your phone, set geofencing (heat goes off when you leave), and learn your routine.
• Smart TRVs (thermostatic radiator valves) allow room-by-room temperature control so you can keep bedrooms cooler and only heat lived-in areas.
• Look for models that support zoning and work with your existing boiler type (combi or system).

2. Fix Draughts and Keep Heat Inside

Stopping warm air leaking out of your home is one of the cheapest and quickest ways to cut winter heating costs.

Common draught hotspots in UK homes

• Gaps around external doors (frames, letterboxes, keyholes).
• Old, single-glazed or poorly fitted windows.
• Unsealed loft hatches and gaps around pipes or cables.
• Fireplaces and unused chimneys in older properties.

Low-cost draught-proofing ideas

You can tackle most draughts in a weekend with basic DIY:

• Fit draught excluder strips around doors and windows.
• Use a brush or flap letterbox cover and cover keyholes with keyhole covers.
• Place a draught excluder or rolled towel at the bottom of doors to cold rooms or hallways.
• Fit an insulated loft hatch cover and seal gaps around the frame.
• Use a chimney balloon or draught excluder in unused fireplaces (and clearly label it for safety).

3. Improve Insulation for Long-Term Savings

Insulation keeps heat where you want it – inside your home. While some measures involve initial cost, they can pay for themselves over a few winters and increase comfort significantly.

Loft insulation

Hot air rises, so an uninsulated loft can lose a large chunk of your heating. In the UK, the recommended depth is around 270mm of mineral wool.

• If you already have insulation, check its depth and top it up if it's below current recommendations.
• Ensure pipes and tanks in the loft are also insulated to prevent freezing.
• Use loft boards on raised legs if you need storage without compressing the insulation.

Cavity wall insulation

Many properties built from the 1920s onwards have cavity walls that can be filled with insulation. This can make a big difference to warmth and bills.

• Check your EPC or ask a professional to see if your walls are already insulated.
• Work should be carried out by an accredited installer who can advise on suitability and guarantees.

Solid wall insulation

Older stone or solid brick homes (common in many parts of the UK) don't have a cavity, but they can still be insulated:

• Internal wall insulation using insulated plasterboard on inside walls.
• External wall insulation applied to the outside of the building with a new weatherproof finish.

These are bigger projects with higher upfront cost but can cut heat loss dramatically. Grants may sometimes be available, particularly for lower-income or vulnerable households.

Windows and doors

• Upgrade to double or triple glazing when replacing windows, focusing first on the coldest rooms.
• If replacement isn't an option, consider secondary glazing or temporary film to reduce drafts and heat loss.
• Use thick, lined curtains and close them at dusk to keep heat in. Make sure they don't cover radiators.

4. Run Your Boiler and Radiators Efficiently

Your boiler and radiators are at the heart of your heating system. A few adjustments can improve efficiency without sacrificing comfort.

Check your boiler settings

Many UK homes with combi boilers have the flow temperature set higher than needed, especially if the boiler is modern and condensing.

• For gas condensing combi boilers, try reducing the flow temperature for heating to around 50–60 °C (if your radiators still heat the rooms comfortably).
• For system or regular boilers with a cylinder, consult your manual or an engineer before making changes.
• Don't reduce hot water temperature below safe levels (normally at least 60 °C in the cylinder to prevent legionella).

Bleed and balance radiators

• If radiators have cold spots at the top, bleed them to release trapped air so they heat evenly.
• Radiators hotter upstairs than downstairs? Ask an engineer to balance the system so all rooms warm up evenly and efficiently.
• Keep radiators clear of furniture and don't dry clothes directly on them if you can avoid it, as this blocks heat.

Use TRVs effectively

Most radiators in UK homes have thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs):

• Set lower TRV numbers in hallways, spare rooms, and bedrooms.
• Keep living rooms slightly warmer and avoid fully opening valves unless the room really needs it.
• Don't cover TRVs with curtains or furniture – they need to sense room temperature properly.

5. Simple Everyday Habits That Cut Bills

Your day-to-day choices can have a surprisingly large impact on your winter heating costs.

• Heat people, not empty rooms: turn radiators down or off in unused spaces.
• Wear layers: a warm jumper, socks and slippers can let you reduce the thermostat by 1 °C or more.
• Close doors between heated and unheated areas to keep warm air where you want it.
• Open curtains on sunny winter days to gain natural heat, and close them as soon as it gets dark.
• Use hot water wisely: showers instead of baths, fix dripping hot taps, and only boil the water you need in the kettle.

6. Understand Your Energy Use and Tariff

Knowing how and when you use energy helps you make smarter decisions and choose the right tariff.

Use your smart meter data

• If you have a smart meter, keep your in-home display somewhere visible.
• Watch how your usage changes when the heating is on or off, or when you adjust the thermostat.
• Use the data to spot unusual spikes that might indicate an issue with your system.

Check your tariff

Review your current gas and electricity tariffs regularly:

• Make sure you are on the cheapest suitable tariff your supplier offers for your circumstances.
• Consider whether a time-of-use tariff could help if you have storage heaters or can shift usage.
• Check for any exit fees before switching.

7. Look for Grants and Support Schemes

In the UK there are various schemes that can help households with the cost of improving efficiency or paying energy bills, especially if you are on a low income or receive certain benefits.

• Energy Company Obligation (ECO) – can fund insulation and heating upgrades for eligible households.
• Boiler upgrade or replacement schemes – can help with the cost of replacing old, inefficient boilers or moving to low-carbon heating.
• Warm Home Discount – a one-off discount on electricity bills for eligible customers.
• Local authority grants – councils sometimes run area-based insulation or retrofit schemes.

Eligibility changes over time, so always check the latest government and local information or speak to an independent energy advice service.

8. Plan Bigger Upgrades When You Can

If you're renovating or planning ahead, it's worth thinking about more substantial improvements that can transform comfort and energy use.

• High-efficiency boilers – replacing a very old boiler with a modern condensing model can significantly cut gas use.
• Heat pumps – air source or ground source heat pumps can be highly efficient when designed correctly, particularly in well-insulated homes.
• Underfloor heating – can work well with low-temperature systems when combined with proper insulation.
• Whole-house retrofit – tying insulation, ventilation and heating upgrades together for maximum benefit.

These projects require careful design and professional installation, but they can future-proof your home against rising energy prices and changing regulations.

9. Quick Winter Checklist for UK Households

Use this simple checklist to prepare your home before the coldest months:

• Test your heating early in autumn and book a boiler service if needed.
• Bleed radiators and check that all warm up evenly.
• Install or top up loft insulation if required.
• Seal obvious draughts around doors, windows and loft hatches.
• Review your thermostat and timer settings so they match your routine.
• Close curtains at dusk and move furniture away from radiators.
• Check if you qualify for any grants or support schemes.

By combining these steps, most UK households can reduce winter heating costs while keeping their home warm, healthy and comfortable.