Although it's the middle of summer and your house may be fairly warm, British households are being urged to turn on their boilers to prevent them forking out thousands this winter.
The ongoing cost of living crisis that the UK faces is expected to spiral further when the autumn comes around, with the energy bill price cap anticipated by experts to exceed over £4,000.
But according to Edinburgh Live, opting to switch your central heating system on now could actually save you money in the long-run.
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Specialists at Boiler Central say that leaving your boiler dormant and inactive for months on end could see you hit with costly repair bills - as shutting the system off completely could result in it seizing up and stopping hot water from flowing. A spokesperson for the company, said: “Most homeowners believe turning their boiler off as soon as summertime hits should be a given, but this is far from the case.
"Turning your boiler off for long periods can cause more harm than good, which is why it is important to turn your heating on now and again. This will protect the internal workings of older and modern boiler and prevent them from seizing up.
"If you turn your boiler off at the beginning of May and don’t turn the central heating on again until the months of autumn, you may have trouble bringing your boiler completely back to life. This will affect appliances such as your central heating, hot water for your mains shower, and some washing machines that can take hot water from the boiler.
"In the worst case scenario, parts may need to be replaced, which will cost both time and money – especially if you need to hire a central heating specialist for the job.”
The MEN has compiled a list of the most common questions on how to take care of your boiler during the summer, and responses to them.
Should I turn my boiler off during summer?
As the weather begins to heat up, there isn't anything wrong with shutting off your central heating to conserve the cost of running it 24/7. However, you don't want to keep it off for substantial periods of time of inactivity.
To help maximise savings, you should turn it on once every few weeks for about an hour - which will make it far less likely to develop a fault which will need fixing when autumn comes around. If you need your boiler for water, then Combi boilers may be left on all summer. These don't use gas unless you require hot water.
In order to save money and energy, you should set it to provide hot water whenever your household is most likely to be in need - or turn it on for an hour before you require it.
Does your boiler have a ‘summer mode’ to help save you money?
You should check your boiler to see if it has a summer and winter mode - features often found on Combi products. Summer mode will help limit wastage by only heating water a few times throughout the day, which will reduce your carbon footprint and keep energy bill costs to a minimum.
Should I get my boiler serviced in summer?
Just like a car, van or motorcycle, boilers require regular maintenance. This is particularly true if your boiler is old and outdated, but you still rely on it for hot water.
If you leave your boiler in the wings over the summer, you risk pipe corrosion through a lack of use. Therefore, it should be serviced over the summer months - ideally between July and September.
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