This is one of the most repeated bits of heating advice in the UK, but it’s rarely explained properly. Turning the thermostat down by one degree can save money, but how much it helps depends on how the house holds heat in the first place.
In most homes, lowering the thermostat reduces how long the boiler needs to run to maintain temperature. That alone cuts gas usage slightly, especially during longer heating cycles. Where it works best is in houses that already warm up reasonably well and don’t lose heat too quickly.
In homes with high heat loss, the savings are often smaller. The system still has to work hard to replace lost heat, even at a lower target temperature. In those cases, improving retention tends to have a bigger impact than adjusting the dial.
After testing this over winter, the most noticeable difference came when a lower thermostat was combined with basic draught reduction. The temperature stayed comfortable for longer, and the heating cycled less often.
This fits into the wider approach explained in how to keep a UK home warm for cheap, where reducing demand usually beats increasing output.
If rooms still feel cold at lower settings, it’s worth looking at why rooms stay cold with heating on and why homes lose heat quickly.
