Spring is officially here and with it comes warmer weather. So, is it time to turn your heating off? According to an interiors expert, you should be turning it off much later than you might think.
I’m going to say something controversial – spring is my least favourite season of the year. Don’t get me wrong, I love the lighter days and blooming flowers, but the weather is so unpredictable that I never know where I stand.
But that’s the thing about spring. The weather shifts from sun to rain to hail and back, so it can be hard to decipher when it’s time to shed your coat and more importantly, when it’s time to turn off your heating.
Heating costs have risen significantly in the past few years, which is why many people avoid turning on their thermostat, radiators and boilers for as long as possible. Now that spring is here, the majority of homeowners will be in a state of limbo over whether it’s warm enough yet to stop using the heating.
To give you a definitive answer, I spoke to Chloe Barrow, interior expert at Laura James who analysed the UK weather from the past five years to find the exact date you should turn off your heating – here’s what she had to say.
When should I turn off the heating?
According to Barrow’s findings, she’s pinpointed 31st May 2026 as the exact date you should consider turning off your heating. As someone who’s always cold, I was quite surprised about this date as it seems quite late in the year to be switching it off.
But this date has been calculated based on the last few year’s temperature trends and the point at which homes start to retain enough natural heat that you don’t need your heating on anymore.
In explaining the data, Barrow says that “UK temperatures typically rise by an average of 2.9°C from May to June, marking the point where many homes naturally begin to feel warmer. We generally recommend switching off the heating once temperatures consistently rise above 15°C.”
The end of May is roughly the time when “we can expect indoor temperatures to be more stable, as homes tend to retain more warmth from longer daylight hours and increased sunshine, helping indoor temperatures remain comfortable without regular heating,” says Barrow.
