Cranking up the thermostat in freezing weather won’t help your home warm faster, heating experts warn

A rare cold snap has brought snow and ice to much of the UK, and with the sub-zero temperatures and heavy snow forecast to continue into the weekend, experts are advising people how to keep warm without wasting money.

The Met Office has issued a new yellow weather warning for snow across much of the country from Thursday evening until midday on Friday.

Meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued amber cold health alerts for all of England until Friday at 10am, warning there could be significant impacts across health and social care services, including a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with existing health conditions.

In short, it’s going to be cold. But experts say that despite the temperatures, it is not the time to adjust the dial on your thermostat.

While it may be tempting to turn the dial to warm your home more quickly, thermostats only control the final temperature the room reaches – not the speed of heating – so turning it up does not warm rooms faster and is unlikely to make any difference beyond causing your energy bills to soar.

Emily Seymour, Which? magazine’s energy editor, told The Independent: “It might feel like a good idea, but cranking up your thermostat won't make your home get warm any faster. The hot water moves around your home at the same rate, but with your thermostat set higher it won't stop until the air around the thermostat reaches that temperature.”

She added: “If you find your radiators are never getting your home to the required temperature, your boiler's flow temperature may need to be increased for the duration of the cold snap. This will make the hot water coming from your boiler hotter.”

To make household heating more targeted and effective, she also advises making use of radiator valves “to turn down radiators in rooms you're not using, and keep doors closed to trap warm air where you most want it".

Other tips to maximise efficiency include using scheduling settings to make sure the heating is only ever on when you need it.

Awareness of the location and proximity of radiators to the thermostat is also vital.

“Use radiator valves to turn down the heat in rooms you're not using and direct hot water to the radiators you need. But always have radiator valves fully open closest to the thermostat,” Ms Seymour said. “That's because if your thermostat is set to 20C but its nearest radiator is turned down or off, your thermostat will continue asking your boiler to run while the radiators refuse the hot water circulating around your home.”

As well as judicious use of central heating, Ms Seymour advised making sure there are no large items of furniture blocking radiators, which would stop hot air flowing properly around the room.

“If radiators have cold spots, bleeding them can help them run more efficiently. Don't forget to repressurise your boiler afterwards,” she said.

“Check for obvious gaps where cold air is creeping into your home. Draught excluders, rugs and curtains can make a big difference. For gaps in your window fittings, loft hatch or outside doors you can buy relatively inexpensive draught-excluding tapes, strips and seals from most DIY shops, which can be used to plug any holes,” she added.

For those most at risk due to cold weather, the UK Health Security Agency advised people to check in on friends, neighbours and family.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at the organisation said on Tuesday: “As the colder weather sets in, it is vital to check in on friends, family and neighbours that are most vulnerable.

“The forecast temperatures can have a serious impact on the health of some people, leading to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections, particularly for individuals over the age of 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions.”