Common boiler mistake that could be hiking your energy bills by £57 a year
Brits could be adding £57 to their energy bill each year due to this simple boiler mistake.
Energy bills are once again at the forefront of many minds as Ofgem's price cap rose once again at the beginning of October. As Brits are looking to cut costs where they can, one boiler mistake could be making your bills more expensive without you realising it. This is your boiler flow temperature.
The "flow temperature" is the temperature your boiler heats up the water to before sending it off to your radiators. Many people are unaware this setting even exists, and many more are reluctant to tweak settings on their boiler in case of doing something wrong.
Most households run the flow rate at between 70 and 80 degrees, but this temperature can be safely lowered with little impact on the useable hot water. The energy supplier EDF says reducing the flow temperature means that your combi-boiler is in "condensing mode" more often. This means it can "capture more heat and recycle it back into the system." However, according to the experts at BOXT, the optimum temperature will depend on what type of boiler you have.
Ryan Gill, lead technical surveyor at boiler experts Boxt, said: "You can turn your boiler flow temperature down and save money without compromising too much comfort, however it’s important to note that the optimum temperature for your boiler will usually depend on the boiler's make and type. For example, the flow temperature of combi boilers should not be set below 55c. For those who have system or standard boilers with a separate hot water cylinder, it must be kept at a minimum of 60c.
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"If the temperature is set below these levels, it can encourage bacterial growth, which could pose a potential health risk to you and your family. In addition, if the flow temperature is too low, your radiators may not heat your home adequately."
According to a study published by the Heating and Hot Water Industry Council, reducing your combi boiler flow temperature to 50c can mean trimming up to 8% off the typical yearly household gas bill. The typical yearly gas bill is £828.70 and is currently made up of £713 in gas and £115.70 in standing charges. That means adjusting your flow temperature could mean savings of up to £57.04 a year.
Before adjusting your combi flow, just be aware that you could potentially turn it down too low. The experts at BOXT say you should not drop the temperature down below 60C. This is because bacteria – such as legionella – can grow in the cylinder, which could potentially make you very ill.
How do I lower my boiler flow temperature?
If you have a conventional boiler with a hot water cylinder, there’ll be just one dial or setting to adjust. However, if you have a combi boiler with no hot water cylinder, there’ll be two dials or settings – one for the radiators and one for hot water. You need to adjust the radiator setting, which you may see as an icon of a radiator rather than a tap.
You may not be able to set your flow rate to a specific temperature, as your boiler may have a different design – for example, a dial with temperatures from one to six. If in doubt, ask your engineer next time they perform an annual safety check on the boiler. Before you do anything to your settings, the Energy Saving Trust says you should take a photo or make a note of how everything’s currently set. That way you’ll know what to turn it back to if you need to.
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