As September ushers in cooler weather, households across the UK are turning their attention to rising energy bills and searching for ways to cut costs. But while there’s no shortage of advice available, energy specialists at the UK’s leading independent fuel distributor, Your NRG, are warning that some of the most widely shared tips are actually myth, and could be costing people more money rather than saving it.
One of the most persistent misconceptions, they say, is the idea that leaving the heating on low all day is cheaper than turning it on only when needed. “This is not true for most households,” explained experts at Your NRG. “It is generally more efficient to heat your home only when you need it.
“Leaving the heating running all day, even at a lower temperature, wastes energy because heat is constantly lost and replaced.”
Instead, they recommend making use of programmable thermostats or timers, which allow families to warm their homes during specific hours without burning through unnecessary fuel.
Other popular beliefs have also come under scrutiny. For example, many assume electric heaters are always a cheaper option than central heating.
While they can be useful for warming a single room for a short time, in reality they tend to be more expensive to run per unit of heat than a boiler. Likewise, the notion that cranking the thermostat up will make a home heat faster is another misconception.
In reality, heating systems work at the same rate regardless of the setting; all that a higher temperature does is keep the boiler running longer, often leading to overheating and higher bills.
The experts also dismissed the advice that closing vents in unused rooms conserves energy. In homes with central heating, shutting vents can create imbalances that make the system less efficient overall.
A more effective approach is to lower the temperature in rooms that are rarely used while keeping airflow consistent throughout the house.
Finally, they cautioned against underestimating the impact of windows on energy loss. Poorly sealed or single-glazed windows are often one of the largest sources of wasted heat.
Simple upgrades, such as adding draught-proofing strips or investing in thermal curtains, can make a noticeable difference during the winter months.