WINTER is coming and the UK is getting increasingly colder, so should we be keeping our heating on all night?
Energy prices are currently sky high so leaving your radiators on while you’re asleep means you’ll be hit with an even bigger bill.
Energy prices are sky high and leaving your radiators on will add hundreds of pounds to your bill
Parts of the UK could be facing temperatures as low as -12C tonight, and weather warnings are in place across the country.
The overall cost of running your central heating will of course, depend on a number of factors, such as the type of boiler you have
Recent figures from CheckaTrade shows that the average cost of running your heating per hour is 11.51p per kilowatt-hour. This means that if you have a 24 kW boiler, it might cost you £2.76 an hour.
So if you have your heating on overnight for eight hours, it could cost you £22.08.
Multiply that by seven and you’re paying £154.56 for the week.
In September, we reported that keeping your radiators on all night will cost you an extra £10.80 a day.
Over the course of a week, that would cost you £75.60, and if you did it all month you could be paying out a whopping £335.
So, there’a clearly a big increase already – of course, prices will vary.
It’s also important to consider what tariff you’re on, as this could determine how much it costs you a night.
Economy 7 or 10 tariffs mean you’ll pay less at night, but a higher rate during the day.
That’s for an average family home on the energy price cap, which is currently the cheapest available energy deal.
But there are cheaper ways to keep warm at night when cold weather sets in – we explain.
How can I keep warm at night without leaving the central heating on?
It’s better to have your heating on for a few hours in the evening and then set the timer so it comes on an hour before you plan to get up.
Another way to keep warm at night is to simply layer up and make sure you have a thick winter duvet.
If you’re worried about being cold at night, you could invest in an electric blanket.
Turning it on about half an hour before you go to sleep will warm your bed up and it’s also much cheaper to run.
According to research from Uswitch, they use 100 watts of energy for a double bed – costing 0.8p in total to run for 30 minutes.
That means if you used it seven days a week for this length of time, it would cost you just 5.6p.
Alternatively, if you do want to have the central heating on in your bedroom, make sure you turn off the radiators in the rooms you’re not using to cut costs.
Finally, some households are eligible for money off their heating bills when the temperature falls below zero.
Cold weather payments have been triggered some parts of the UK – find out if you’re eligible for a £25 discount.
