CASH-TIGHT households may be inclined to turn off their boiler overnight to save energy – but it might not be the best option.
Experts warn against turning appliances off as Brits look for ways to curve energy bills.
Boilers, along with WiFi and certain kitchen appliances, should not be turned off at night.
Electricity prices, on average, have gone up from around 17p per kWh last winter to 34p kWh after prices went up on October 1.
Although it seems like the best option to turn these appliances off, it's just not practical, and it could affect the speed and quality of your items.
For example, turning the WiFi off could send signals to your provider there is a fault on the line.
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A spokesperson from BoilerCentral told us why you shouldn't switch your boiler off at night: "If the boiler is turned off and you have forgotten to turn it back on, some can be temperamental and then require a call out.
"It is advised to first look at adjusting your thermostat settings instead of turning your boiler off.
"If someone is looking to regularly turn off their boiler then to ensure it can be done without causing problems it’s advised to get it serviced annually."
If you turn your thermostat down by one notch, it can help lower your bills by a whopping £80 a year.
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Leaving your boiler on could actually save you money – turning it off means you won't have any hot water, which you'll need for showers and washing up regardless of the temperature outside.
And if it breaks, getting your boiler fixed could wipe out any savings you made from turning it off completely.
According to Moneysupermarket.com, you may have to pay around £150 for a minor repair or up to £400 for more serious problems.
How to get your boiler serviced
Having a regular boiler service will make sure your boiler is running efficiently and safely – you should do this once a year.
The summer is a good opportunity to do this as you won't be relying on the central heating.
A heating engineer can service your boiler in around an hour, but be prepared that you might be left without hot water until they are finished.
Boilers have a warranty of around 10 years, but if you have not had regular services the warranty does not stand.
The service can help you spot any problems before they escalate and become more expensive to fix.
It will also help make sure your boiler is safe and working efficiently.
British Gas says summer is the best time to book a service in.
"Not only will you be making sure you’re set for winter when you’ll need your boiler the most, but also engineers tend to be less busy during these months," the company said.
According to Checkatrade, a standard service will cost you about £80, and you should always book with a Gas Safe engineer.
More ways to save on energy bills
You may want to switch off all plugs and sockets – we spoke to an expert who saved £180 a year with this hack.
Meal prepping could also cut your food bills in half to roughly a tenner a week.
You could try cutting down on bills you no longer need to pay – read more about that here.
But if measures in your own home aren't enough, there's still time to apply for government schemes that are designed to help you foot rising energy costs.
Here are a few schemes run by energy suppliers you could be entitled to:
- British Gas Energy Trust
- Bulb energy fund
- EDF's energy customer support fund
- E.on's energy fund
- Npower's energy fund
- Ovo's debt and energy assistance
- Scottish Power's hardship fund
There's also a one-off fuel voucher from your energy supplier if you're on a prepayment meter.
All UK households are also set to receive the £400 energy bills rebate this month.
The payment will be made up of six discounts between now and March next year.
Households will receive a £66 energy bill discount this month and November and a discount worth £67 in December, January, February and March.
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You can also check up on tips for saving money on your freezer bill instead of switching it off.
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