I’m one of those people who runs cold. Add having a 4-year-old in the house, and I’ve already decided: yes, the heating’s on. It might feel early to some, but after reading up on the latest from the Energy Saving Trust, I see I’m not alone, and there are good reasons to turn things on sooner than later.

When does it make sense to switch on the heating?

According to the Energy Saving Trust, there’s no one “right” date. It really depends on how cold it is inside and who’s living in the home.

• If you start feeling cold, especially with young children, older people or anyone with health conditions around, that’s your cue.
• Homes often feel the chill when indoor temps regularly drop to 15 °C or below. Usually that happens more reliably around October, though cold snaps in late September or even earlier can make the difference. Leave the house at 5:15am when I’m heating to work and it’s been as low as 5*c this week!
• The temperature you should set your thermostat at is somewhere between 18-21 °C. That way your heating only comes on when it really needs to, and you don’t waste energy (or money).

Timing & settings: small changes that help

Here are some tips to make the heating work better, not harder:

• Best times of day: Start heating about half an hour before you get up. Turn it off (or substantially down) around half an hour before you go to bed.
• When you’re out of the house, drop the heating, no need to keep everything warm when no one’s around.
• Don’t leave the boiler running all the time. It’s more cost-efficient to have a heating schedule.

Preparing & upgrades

Since you’re turning your heating back on:

• If the oil boiler or storage heaters have been off over summer, switch them on briefly now to check they are still working. If there are any issues, better to sort them before it gets freezing.
• Arrange for the annual boiler service if you haven’t done so already, (ours is due every October) winter gets closer, engineer availability shrinks and emergency call-outs pop up.
• Simple upgrades can make a big difference: bleeding radiators, installing radiator reflector panels, lowering boiler flow temperature, and making sure you can control the heating in each room separately (via thermostatic radiator valves).

What this means for me (and maybe you)

Because I tend to feel the cold, and because my 4-year-old needs a comfortable environment (not a chilly start to the day!), I’ve already turned the heating on. We won’t run it at full blast all day, but mornings and evenings are warmer.

If you’ve hesitated, you don’t need to wait until the “official cold season.” Start when you notice you, or someone in your home, is uncomfortable. Use that 18-21 °C thermostat range to avoid overpaying. Make small tweaks like lowering boiler flow, bleeding radiators, or closing off rooms you’re not using.

Worried about fuel bills this winter?

Since I’ve had to put the heating on so early this year, I’ll be honest, the cost does worry me. Energy bills are still a big concern for nearly all households, mine included. That’s why I’m keeping an eye on simple energy-saving tips and looking into what support is available to help with heating costs. Below are some places you can get advice and help!

• Energy Saving Trust has guides and tools to help you understand and reduce your energy use.
• North Ayrshire Council’s Energy Support Grant offers payments of up to £500 to residents who are struggling to pay energy bills, are at risk of being cut off, have a gross income of less than £29,894 and are not in receipt of benefits, due to the availability of the Scottish Welfare Fund
• There are various schemes and advice available through Home Energy Scotland to make energy efficiency improvements to your home.
• Citizens Advice Scotland offers free, impartial energy advice to help with issues like supplier complaints, energy bills and fuel debt.
• Sofi, our Energy Project Manager (and the writer of this blog) has been trained in fuel poverty and can offer assistance and guidance via sofi@arranecosavvy.org.uk

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