When should you turn on your heating this winter? Exact date revealed | UK News

When will you be turning your radiator on? (Picture: Getty Images)

When to turn the heating on is a matter for debate in many households as temperatures begin to drop and the cost of living crisis continues.

Those who really feel the cold will want the thermostat cranked up, while others will be worried about energy bills and determined to stick it out for as long as possible with extra layers.

Some will argue it’s cheaper to keep the heating on low all day, while others swear you should turn it on only when needed.

The good news is that the Energy Price Cap is dropping from October 1, so but it is still far higher than it was when introduced in 2019.

From October, average energy bills will be capped at £1,923 instead of £2,074 – but remember that it’s the price per unit of energy that’s capped, so the more you use, the more you will pay.

So what do the experts say? When is the best time to turn on your heating – and what steps should you take before you do?

Let’s find out.

What date should you turn on your heating?

Although there’s no single temperature when it’s best turned on, many people aim for the date the clocks go back – in 2023, that’s Sunday, October 29.

According to British Gas, the average time when most of its 7 million customers turn on their heating ties in with this – it is the last week of October.

Woman adjusting her boiler — When will you turn your heating on? (Picture: Getty Images)

USwitch energy expert Natalie Mathie explained to Metro.co.uk: ‘Many households will wait for the first day they feel chilly to turn on the heating, while others may try to hold off until the clocks go back on October 29.’

A British Gas spokesperson added: ‘However, this is weather dependent and generally boiler switch on occurs when the average minimum night temperature falls below 9˚C for a prolonged period of time.’

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The Energy Saving Trust recommends heating your home to between 18˚C to 21˚C during winter, while the World Health Organisation suggests 18˚C for healthy people, so when the indoor temperature falls below this, you could consider turning the heating on.

What should you do before turning it on?

Joanna Flowers, engineer at British Gas, told Metro.co.uk: ‘Ahead of colder weather, we would encourage people to check their boilers and heating are in working order.’

USwitch’s Natalie Mathie added: ‘When you turn your heating on for the first time on a very cold day, you don’t want to find your system is not working efficiently.’

Thermostat showing 19 degrees centigrade — Turning the temperature down will save money (Picture: Getty Images)

Ms Mathie says: ‘It may be worth turning your heating on ahead of time to test that your boiler is working properly, and if your radiators have cold spots and need bleeding.

‌’Consider getting your boiler serviced if you haven’t had one in the past 12 months. If a breakdown happens on a cold day, it may take longer to get a call-out.’