A simple tweak to your boiler could cut gas bills by nearly 10% without leaving you in the cold.
A gas safety engineer has revealed that lowering the flow temperature on a modern condensing boiler could save a medium-use home around £79 a year.
The advice comes as energy prices remain a concern for many, especially during the colder months.
The hidden boiler setting that will save you money and keep you warm
Patrick Garner, a Gas Safe engineer at Heatable, said: "Many modern condensing boilers are less efficient when running at higher flow temperatures.
"And research has shown that dropping the heating flow temperature from 80°C to 60°C can reduce the gas used for heating by around 12%.
"Once hot water use is included, that works out at roughly a 9% reduction across the total gas bill."
At the current capped gas rate of 7.33p per kWh, the savings could add up to around £79 a year for a medium-use home.
Mr Garner said: "The house shouldn’t end up colder.
"The thermostat still decides the room temperature; the boiler just gets there more steadily and usually more efficiently.
"And if the weather gets really cold, you can always nudge the flow temperature back up by five degrees and see how it goes."
Turning it down means radiators won’t get as hot, but rooms will still reach the desired temperature—just a little more slowly.
This advice applies specifically to modern condensing combi boilers, which allow you to adjust the radiator temperature separately from hot water.
Mr Garner warned: "If you’re not sure what type of system you’ve got, check the manual before pressing any buttons."
Not all boilers have separate controls for heating and hot water, especially those with hot water cylinders.
Stored hot water generally needs to reach around 60°C for safety reasons.
Boilers with weather compensation technology may also adjust the flow temperature automatically.
So before turning up the thermostat this winter, check your boiler’s flow temperature.
A quick adjustment could help you save on gas without sacrificing comfort.
Will you be trying this hack? Let us know in the comments.
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