How to use your heating controls

There are two types of programmers, a mechanical timer or a digital timer. They both do the same job, which is to tell your heating system when to come on and off.

Here are some top tips if your home has a mechanical timer:

• Boiler settings: Keep the boiler switched on and set the temperature to the recommended level.
• Use it wisely: Only heat your home when needed — don’t leave it on all day.
• Timing matters: It takes about 30 minutes to warm up and an hour to cool down. Set the timer to come on 30 minutes before you need heat and off an hour before you leave or go to bed.
• Set the time: Adjust the timer like a clock. Remember to update it when the clocks go forward or back.
• Set heating periods: Use the red tappets for ON times and blue tappets for OFF times. This allows you to set two heating periods per day.
• Adjust as needed: Change the tappet positions to suit the time of year or your routine.
• Activate the timer: Set the switch to TIMED so the heating follows your schedule.
• Manual override: The dial shows if heating is on or off. Turn it anti-clockwise to start or stop heating earlier than planned — useful if you’re home early.
• Avoid CONSTANT mode: It wastes gas and money if left on when you're out or asleep.
• Summer savings: In warmer months or when away, switch the timer to OFF to save energy.

Summary: Use your timer to heat your home only when needed. Remember: it takes about 30 minutes to warm up and an hour to cool down. Avoid using the CONSTANT mode, as it wastes gas and money.

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Here are some top tips if your home has a digital timer:

• Boiler settings: Keep your boiler switched on and set the temperature controls to the recommended level (check the boiler display).
• Use it wisely: Only use your heating when needed — don’t leave it on all day.
• Timing matters: It takes about 30 minutes to warm up and an hour to cool down. Set your heating to start 30 minutes before you need it and turn off an hour before you leave or go to bed.
• Set the time: Press the Programme button for five seconds to set the date and time using the +/– buttons. Don’t forget to update it when the clocks change.
• Set heating periods: You can set up to three heating periods per day. Hold the Programme button until “SET ON TIME” appears. Choose the day using the DAY button, then use +/– to set on and off times. Repeat for up to three periods per day.
• Copy settings: To copy a day’s settings, press COPY, then DAY to move to the next day. Press COPY again to apply.
• Boost heating: Press the +1 hour button for an extra hour of heat — handy if you’re home early.
• Activate schedule: Press Select to switch from OFF to AUTO. A red light will show when the heating is on.
• Avoid ALLDAY mode: It wastes energy if you forget to turn it off when leaving or sleeping.
• Summer savings: In warmer months or when away, switch the programmer to OFF to save energy.

Summary: Use your timer to heat your home only when needed. Remember: it takes about 30 minutes to warm up and an hour to cool down. Avoid using the ALLDAY mode, as it wastes gas and money.

If your home is electric-only, you should have storage heaters, a hot water cylinder with an immersion heater, and a dual-rate electricity meter (for cheaper night-time rates).

Storage heaters charge overnight using cheaper electricity and release heat throughout the day.

• The main controls on storage heaters are: Input — this controls how much heat is stored overnight. Output — this controls how quickly heat is released during the day.
• Setting the Input: In cold weather, turn the Input up to store more heat. In warmer weather, turn it down to save energy. Changes will take effect the next day.
• Setting the Output: Higher settings release heat faster. Even on low, some heat will still be released. You should adjust the Output based on your daily routine.
• Make heat last: Keep the Output on low overnight and during the day. Turn it up in the evening if needed, then turn it back down before bed. This will help ensure the heat lasts all day.
• Remember: If the Output is on high in the morning, you’ll likely run out of heat by midday.
• Room by room: Adjust each heater individually to suit how much heat you'll need in each space.
• Check your meter: If you don’t have a dual-rate meter, contact your supplier to get one and benefit from cheaper night rates.

Summary: Set the Input to match the weather. Keep the Output low at night and during the day, and only turn it up when needed. Avoid plug-in heaters as they’re more expensive. In warmer months, switch heaters off at the wall. Adjust each heater to suit the room.

Electrically heated properties use immersion heaters to provide hot water for the following day. They are controlled by a timer which uses cheap rate night time (or off peak) electricity.

If you have an electric-only property, you will have a hot water timer to heat your water which is stored in a cylinder until you need it. Electric-only properties should be set up with dual-rate meters (like 'Economy Seven'), which provide cheaper electricity at night.

• Set the time: Make sure the timer dial is set to the correct time of day (24-hour format).
• Set the season: Turn the dial clockwise to select summer or winter mode. If this isn’t set correctly, you could end up paying more.
• Use the TIMED setting: Once the clock is set, switch the timer to TIMED so your water heats automatically overnight using the cheaper rate.
• Stored hot water: The water should stay hot throughout the day and be enough for normal use.
• Boosting: If you run out, use the boost dial for up to an hour—but this uses expensive daytime electricity, so keep it to a minimum.
• Avoid using boost regularly: Don’t rely on the boost or use the timer as an on/off switch. Economy Seven is designed to heat water overnight to save money.
• No dual-rate meter? Contact your energy supplier to get one installed and benefit from cheaper night-time electricity.

Summary: Make sure your timer is set to the correct time and seasonal mode. Use the TIMED setting to benefit from cheaper night-time electricity, and keep boost use to a minimum. If you're going away, switch the timer off to avoid unnecessary heating.

Heating your home and hot water makes up around 70% of your energy bill — so using your thermostat correctly can save money.

• Set the right temperature: A healthy indoor temperature is between 18°C and 21°C. Turn the dial to set it.
• Big savings: Turning your thermostat down by just 1 degree can save you 10% on your gas bills, which is around £80 per year (but remember you should not go below the recommended 18 degrees).
  
• Only make small adjustments: Once set, leave it alone and only make small changes if you need to.
  
• Don’t use it as a switch: Don't turn it on and off to control your heating.
  
• Don't turn it to max (30°C): It won’t heat your home faster and will waste gas and money.
• Check the room temperature: If your heating doesn’t come on, your home may already be warmer than the thermostat setting.
  
• Use a thermometer: Place it in your main room (not above a radiator or in a draught) to monitor the temperature accurately.

You can control the temperature in each room by adjusting the Thermostatic Radiator Valve (TRV). Save money by turning down radiators in rooms that you don’t use.

Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) are fitted to radiators and let you control the temperature in each room individually.

• Adjust gradually: Turn the dial up or down slightly to suit your comfort. Avoid jumping from minimum (1) to maximum (5) and back — it makes your boiler work harder and wastes energy.
  
• Let them breathe: TRVs sense the air temperature around them, so don’t cover them with clothes, curtains, or block them with furniture.
  
• Don’t turn them off: Never switch a TRV off completely. Use the frost setting (snowflake symbol) instead to prevent condensation or frozen pipes in cold weather.