Experts warn that turning your boiler off to save money might seem sensible - but it can actually end up costing you more.
Households are looking for ways to save money as average energy bills are soon set to hit £3,549 a year.
Energy regulator Ofgem has announced that its price cap will rise to £3,549 in October for those on default tariffs paying by direct debit - up from the current figure of £1,971 and an 80 per cent increase.
Experts at Boiler Central said they were often asked by homeowners if they can save money by turning their boiler off.
The answer is: maybe.
Boiler Central said it was "not recommended", and that any savings depend on what sort of boiler you have.
If you have an old, uneconomical boiler then switching it off during the summer makes sense.
But if you have a modern boiler, turning it off in the hotter months is "completely unnecessary", Boiler Central said.
They added: "It is always recommended to keep your boiler on as long as you have a new boiler and it is working properly. Modern new boiler replacements do not use any gas whilst they are not required, so even in summer you can leave your boiler on."
For example, gas combi boilers only use gas on demand when you turn your taps on or turn up your thermostat.
As we head into autumn and winter many households may decide to turn their combi boiler off at night - but that might actually be the less efficient option.
"One major flaw in this plan is that a gas boiler firing itself back up every morning tends to use a higher amount of energy than just leaving it on overnight," Boiler Central said.
The company had some tips to save money without switching your boiler off.
Use your thermostat
If you have a tankless heating system or combi boiler then the best thing to do is use your thermostat.
It measures the temperature of the room it is in and sends a signal to the boiler.
This lets the boiler know whether it is needed to heat up, to increase the temperature in the house, or turn off, to decrease the temperature.
Instead of turning your boiler off every night, one option to help save energy that might be even more efficient is to use your thermostat and to set your temperature lower if you don’t need as much heat.
If you set your thermostat at a lower temperature then your boiler will usually only start itself up when the temperature drops to that specific level.
So if you think 20C is widely regarded as ‘room temperature’ but you can cope with 18C and put a jumper on or a small blanket to save a bit of cash, then there is always that option.
There is no answer as to whether your boiler is best being turned on or off overnight, however, there are advantages and disadvantages of this so it depends on preference and what you’re comfortable with.
Could turning my boiler off and on cause problems to it?
Boilers are clearly made to be turned on and off because they have a button that does exactly that.
But boiler makers do not expect this to happen regularly, Boiler Central said.
The firm added: "Stopping and starting a boiler that is meant to be left on, which is the expectation these days, could cause problems. We’re not saying it will, but it may not be the best course of action.
"If you have an older boiler, it might be more temperamental than the newer models. Stopping and starting an older boiler could do more harm than good, especially in extreme cases where you’re worried if you turn it off, it may not even start back up again, leaving you with no heating at all."
Turning it on and off or turning it off for longer can cause issues with your valves and pumps, as they might seize up.
