The unprecedented rise in energy costs this winter has many people asking how to reduce their bills. In a typical UK home, around 80% of the total energy used in a year goes towards heating space and water, so any change in heating makes a big difference.
The most common advice is to reduce your thermostat temperature. Worryingly (because of climate change) and fortunately (because of the cost of living crisis), the autumn so far has been extremely mild. But temperatures are now beginning to drop. Colleagues and I have therefore looked into our data on home energy use to see how much energy is typically used at different thermostat temperatures.
The media has already reported some estimations of cost savings associated with changing thermostat temperature. But these are generally based on theoretical savings using energy models, and their calculations rely on many assumptions about how the home is used.
