Heating
How To Save Money on Heating This Winter (and When a More Efficient Boiler Makes Sense)
As the evenings draw in across Southend, Leigh-on-Sea and the rest of South Essex, the heating goes back on and the bills start to climb.
The good news is that you don't need to change everything at once. A few free adjustments tonight, a quick check of your boiler settings and a yearly service can all reduce wasted energy. And if your boiler is old or unreliable, a modern condensing boiler can make a real difference.
This guide walks you through it step by step, starting with the easy wins and finishing with when an upgrade is worth considering. If you'd like a hand, our Gas Safe engineers can check your system for you.
Free Quick Wins You Can Do Tonight
Before touching the thermostat, look at how heat moves around your rooms.
- Move sofas and furniture away from radiators
- Keep long curtains above radiators, not over them
- Close curtains at dusk to cut heat loss through glass
- Close doors between warm and cool rooms
- Turn down radiators in rooms you rarely use
- Use a timer so the heating isn't on while you're out
Choose Comfort, Not the Highest Thermostat Setting
Turning the thermostat right up won't warm your home any faster. It just tells the heating to keep going until it reaches a higher temperature, which uses more gas.
The Energy Saving Trust suggests 18 to 21°C is comfortable for most people. If your home regularly feels too warm, try turning it down by one degree and see how it feels after a few days.
Check Your Boiler's Flow Temperature
Your thermostat controls the room temperature. Your boiler's flow temperature controls how hot the water sent to your radiators is. Many boilers are left at a high factory setting.
Modern condensing boilers work most efficiently when the water returning to them is cooler. On a suitable combi boiler, lowering the radiator flow temperature to around 60°C can be a good starting point, as long as your home still warms up properly.
Check your system type first
If you have a hot water cylinder, a heat pump or you're unsure what you have, don't guess. Stored hot water needs to stay hot enough to be safe, so ask an engineer to set it up correctly. Our Home Systems Explained guide covers the terms in plain English.
Get Your Radiators and Draughts Sorted
Cold patches at the top of a radiator
This usually means trapped air. Bleeding the radiator lets the air out so the whole panel heats up. Cold patches at the bottom can point to sludge, which an engineer can diagnose and clear.
Use your radiator valves
Thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) let you set each room separately. A spare bedroom doesn't need the same warmth as your living room, but don't let any room get so cold it invites damp.
Draught-proof carefully
Seals, strips and door brushes on gaps around external doors and windows can stop warm air escaping. But keep air bricks, trickle vents, extractor fans and appliance ventilation clear, and never block a boiler flue.
A Yearly Service Keeps Your Boiler Efficient
A boiler that hasn't been looked at for years can lose efficiency and is more likely to break down in the first cold snap. A service checks it's burning safely, cleans key parts and picks up small faults before they turn into costly repairs.
- Safe, efficient combustion checks
- Early warning of worn parts
- Keeps most manufacturer warranties valid
- Fewer winter breakdowns
Georgio's boiler servicing is £95 + VAT across South Essex. Read more in our winter boiler servicing guide.
When Is a More Efficient Boiler Worth It?
If your boiler is old, non-condensing or keeps breaking down, the savings from small tweaks have a ceiling. Modern condensing boilers recover heat that older models send straight out of the flue, so more of the gas you pay for ends up warming your home.
It may be time to look at a new boiler if:
- Your boiler is 15 or more years old
- It's a non-condensing model
- Repairs are becoming regular
- Parts are getting hard to find
- Hot water is slow or unreliable
- Your home takes ages to warm up
Size and controls matter as much as the brand
An oversized boiler can switch on and off constantly and waste energy. A proper survey looks at your home, your radiators and how much hot water you use. Good controls such as a programmable or smart thermostat help you get the most from it. Our new boiler installation guide explains combi, system and regular boilers.
Want a rough idea of cost first? Use our online boiler quote tool for a guide price, confirmed by a free survey.
Your Heating Money-Saving Checklist
- 1Clear furniture and curtains away from radiators
- 2Set the thermostat between 18 and 21°C
- 3Match your heating schedule to your routine
- 4Check your boiler flow temperature (or ask us to)
- 5Bleed radiators with cold patches at the top
- 6Fix draughts without blocking ventilation
- 7Book your yearly boiler service
- 8Consider a new efficient boiler if yours is old or unreliable
Spreading the cost of servicing and cover can help too. Our maintenance plans start from £9 a month.
Local Help Across South Essex
Georgio's is a family-run, Gas Safe registered heating company based in Leigh-on-Sea. We service, repair and install boilers across Southend-on-Sea, Westcliff, Leigh-on-Sea, Hadleigh, Benfleet, Rayleigh, Hockley, Rochford, Thorpe Bay and Shoeburyness. See all the areas we cover.
Want Your Heating Running Efficiently?
Book a £95 + VAT boiler service, or get a guide price on a new efficient boiler in under two minutes.
