British Gas, OVO, EDF, Octopus, EDF customers urged to make tap change for free £163
A simple boiler setting saves you £163 on energy bills without making your home colder. Stephen Day, a Heating Engineer at iHeat, explains that one simple tweak the settings on your boiler can help to lower wastage without making your home feel colder.
He said: "Lowering your boiler's flow temperature is a simple yet impactful way to improve efficiency. This small tweak can save money and energy without compromising on comfort." By setting the boiler’s flow temperature to 60°C, it can switch to a "condensing mode."
The expert said: "Turning your boiler flow temperature down could reduce your bills by as much as 9%, meaning the average household could save around £163 a year or £13 a month - that’s enough to cover your monthly streaming subscription.
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“Changing your boiler’s flow temperature is quick and easy. You won’t need specialist tools or knowledge, just a few minutes to follow these steps." Most gas boilers operate at what is known as 80/60 flow and return temperatures, Octopus, British Gas, EDF, EON and Ovo customers have been told.
This means the boiler heats the water (known as 'the flow') to 80C. British Gas said: "If you have a combi boiler, your boiler specs will include the water flow rate. Usually measured in litres per minute (l/min), it tells you how much hot water your boiler can send to your taps or showers.
"The more taps, showers, and other water-bearing fixtures you have in your home, the higher the hot water ‘flow rate’ you’ll need, especially if you’re running them at the same time. According to the UK government, a water efficient kitchen tap should have a flow rate of 4-6 l/min, and a shower no less than 6 l/min.
"Your boiler specs will often show the maximum flow rate that your boiler can provide at a specific temperature, for example 12 l/min at 40 degrees centigrade. This shows how much water it can send to your taps at that temperature. What it means is that if you’re running two showers and a tap at that temperature at the same time, the water flow rate is likely to drop."