Could heating your home all-year-round actually save you money?

Who else has flicked the heating on over the past few weeks, when temperatures have dropped? And did you too feel guilty about spending on your on summer heating bills? Well fear not, it turns out heating your home during summer could actually help save money.

During warmer seasons, central heating is often the last things we think about – we're more concerned with BBQs and garden parties. However, central heating experts believe we should be keeping boilers maintained over the summer to avoid winter nightmares.

Related: Are you breaking the law in your own back garden?

Research gathered by Boiler Plan, a leading boiler service provider, has revealed consumers can potentially save hundreds of pounds a year by switching their heating on during summer months.

So what's the logic behind this out of season practice? Ensuring your boiler its kept in top condition and full working order over the summer months will save hidden costs come colder winter months.

how to keep energy costs down all year round as summer is the time consumers forget about their heating system.

The experts advise, 'Switching heating on intermittently and getting a boiler service during summer months can ensure there are no sudden costs or problems in winter when customers need their heating most.'

The most common date boilers go bust is the 1st December – think we can all agree that's possibly the worst timing ever.

The study found a shocking 77 per cent of Brits don’t have boiler insurance or central heating cover. Meaning if something does goes wrong when it be a costly exercise to switch the heating back on for winter. Fixing a faulty
boiler could cost anywhere between £150 to £400. Ouch, not a cheap unforeseen cost.

Boiler Plan has given us the following top tips to potentially save hundreds of pounds every year:

1.Turn heating on for short intervals
'The last thing you would think to do in the summer, but it’s actually something that could help keep your boiler in good health all-year-round. Boilers can seize up if they’re not used regularly. So it’s important to turn your heating on
for 10 to 15 minutes every week, to keep it running smoothly.'

2. Keep hot water switched on
'Depending on how old your boiler is, turning your boiler off completely isn’t as economical as many people think. As well as turning your heating on for 10 to 15 minutes at regular intervals, keep your hot water on, but on a low setting. By doing this, not only do you have hot water for washing the dishes, but it also helps keep your boiler in good condition ready for the winter.'

3. Book a boiler service
'To keep your boiler healthy long-term, you should have your boiler serviced once a year. Summer is a great time, as gas engineers and plumbers are less likely to be busy. If a fault is found, it’s also easier to get it fixed rather than discovering a fault in the winter, when you’re more reliant on it.'

Related: This ONE thing can help you save hundreds on your heating bill!

If this unpredictable weather continues, we might be tempted to leave the heating on all Summer. Which as it turns out, is doing our household bills a favour.

*Research provided by YouGov survey of 41,539 respondents in June 2019.