Heating experts warn against cranking up the thermostat to heat your home quicker - this is what you should be doing instead

Is it true that when you crank the heating up, your boiler will work harder to heat your home up quickly? Absolutely not, I’m afraid - and heating experts are urging you not to try this heating hack.

This week, the Peep Show heating trend has gone viral across social media as couples and housemates debate cranking the heating up to 29 degrees to ‘give it (the boiler) something to aim for thus heating your home faster. Despite thousands of funny videos quoting the sitcom, heating experts say this simply won’t work and it’s not the most efficient way to heat your home.

If you’re considering blasting your heating in short bursts, experts say that this can result in nothing but higher energy bills. This is everything you need to know.

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Why you shouldn't crank the heating up

‘A common misconception when it comes to heating our homes is that by setting your thermostat to a higher temperature such as 25°+ will make it heat up faster, so warming the house more quickly. Unfortunately, this is not true as the heating system will heat at the same speed no matter the temperature set, as the thermostat simply knows to turn the heating on or off, depending on if the room has reached the desired temperature,’ says Tom Edmunds, General Manager at Wunda.

‘The boiler’s output is limited to a home’s heating emitters output and efficiency, such as radiators or underfloor heating.’

If you set your thermostat to 29 degrees, instead of ‘working harder’ to hit that temperature, your boiler will take longer to heat up to that exact temperature, wasting energy in the process. In fact, experts actually say a minimum of 14 degrees is the temperature your home should be to avoid damp, mould and condensation, so you don’t need to worry about blasting the heating to make your home a comfortable temperature.

How to heat your home quickly

Luckily there are plenty of ways to warm your home in winter without attempting this heating hack. First of all, you should check and ensure that your insulation is up to scratch.

‘One of the most overlooked hacks when looking to keep homes warm during winter is proper insulation. A quarter of the heat lost from a home is through poorly insulated roof spaces. If your house is old, it may have just 100mm of loft insulation depth, but change this to the recommended amount, 220-270mm, and save as much as £200 on energy bills. Once done this lasts for decades so can be worth thousands over time,’ says Jess Steele, heating and technology expert at BestHeating.

In regards to your thermostat, Tom says: ‘We’d suggest it’s best to look into ways to optimise the home’s heating system, such as draining radiators or opting for improved insulation. Another way to get the best out of your heating is to consider an alternative heating system such as underfloor heating, coupled with smart controls. With the latest technology, modern smart heating systems can cleverly adapt to your individual home needs, such as learning how long rooms take to heat, so turning on at the optimal time.’

Investing in smart controls means you target heat into specific rooms and turn the heating on and off whenever you need - for example scheduling the heating to turn on when you arrive home from work.

For optimum heating efficiency should also bleed your radiators and check your boiler flow temperature, to ensure everything is heating as it should.

Unfortunately, there is no easy fix for heating your home quickly, and you should avoid cranking it up to a higher temperature. Instead, you should maintain your boiler and radiator’s efficiency and invest in smart controls so you can tailor your heating needs.