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What Minimum Temperature Should I Set My Heating to During a Cold Snap?
UK temperatures have plummeted, and the Met Office warns that despite global temperatures being the highest on record, this Winter will be colder than normal in the UK thanks to cold, dry air from the north and the east.
Households already in the grip of the cost-of-living crisis trying to minimise costs are wondering what their minimum heating temperature setting should be. Experts recommend setting your heating to a minimum of 18°C, we’ll explain why that’s the case and how you can better control your minimum heating temperature without over-spending with Wiser.
Why Should We Heat Our Homes to a Minimum Level in Cold Weather?
18°C is better for your health
Living in a cold home can have several negative impacts on your health. Physical health issues range from mild to severe and research shows living in cold temperatures for long periods of time can seriously impact mental health and wellbeing.
Maintains our immunity
Living in cold temperatures can reduce our immune response, increasing risk of infections and other ailments, especially in high-risk groups like the elderly, babies and young children, and those with other health conditions.
Keeps a healthy circulation
According to Warm and Well, below 13°C your blood pressure can increase while blood vessels narrow, leading to serious health issues like stroke and heart attacks. Lower circulation can also reduce dexterity and steadiness, leading to more falls in the home.
Reduces the risk of breathing issues
A minimum temperature of 18°C reduces the chance of damp and mould growth in our living spaces, which can cause allergic reactions and breathing difficulties which can become severe over time when combined with a reduced immune response.
18°C is better for your home
Our homes are built to last with the right care and maintenance, but low temperatures and moisture wreak havoc on our buildings, risking long term damage, repair costs and ill health. Keeping our homes at a minimum temperature of 18°C helps protects it from the ravages of the coldest winters.
Reduces Damp and Mould
A home that’s too cold for too long is a prime habitat for fungus like damp and mould, which can risk the integrity of the building and the health of those living there. Keeping your home at 18°C and keeping areas well-ventilated reduces condensation in the home that leads to damp and mould.
How Can Wiser Help Maintain a Minimum Heating Temperature Without Over-spending?
We believe better control means better efficiency, and Wiser makes it easier than ever to maintain a minimum home heating temperature of 18°C thanks to its meticulously engineered features.
Control via the app anywhere, anytime
Wherever you are, you’ll have full visibility of your heating system and temperatures in the Wiser Home app. Change schedules, increase or reduce temperatures, enable the Smart Modes, and even view Insights to help you tailor your heating schedules further. Wiser’s direct boiler modulation combined with this level of smart control has been shown to save up to 12% energy every year.
Multi-room heating control
With Wiser you’ll never need to heat unused areas again. Adding Smart Radiator Thermostats to every room has been shown to save up to 19% more energy a year by providing comfort where it’s needed, and reducing energy use where it’s not.
Smart Modes
Wiser’s carefully engineered Smart Modes, Away Mode and Eco Mode, are specifically designed to maximise your efficiency.
Away Mode
Enable Away Mode at any time via the app to turn all setpoints down to a minimum level while you’re away, and simply turn it off to have your heating return to its normal schedules. For even more convenience, connect Wiser to an IFTTT account to enable automatic Away Mode activation via geofencing!
Eco Mode
This intelligent mode learns how quickly your home cools down over time and turns the boiler off at the optimal point in your schedule to save precious energy.
By making the most of both Away Mode and Eco Mode, you could save an extra 16% energy per year.
How Much Energy Could Wiser Save You?
Combined research by BEAMA, Salford University and Schneider Electric shows Wiser’s features could save you 30% energy every year, that’s around £440 on current energy tariffs as of 1st January 2024. Find out more about Saving Energy With Wiser!
But don’t just take our word for it…
What Do Real Wiser Customers Say?
"By controlling the heating to an efficient plan, it has reduced the gas and electrical total by £25 a month and not wasting heat on an empty house." – Paul, Wiser customer
"I have made a reduction in gas consumption by around 1/3 since installing my Wiser system. Zoned heating has been a fantastic feature. I have also improved the EPC rating of my property by 2 grades in part due to the system." – Alex, Wiser customer
"Compared with our previous smart thermostat we are saving 1800 litres of LPG per year with the Wiser system installed, that’s approximately £900 at current rates. Our entire Wiser installation paid for itself within 18 months." – Simon, Wiser customer
"We think the system paid for itself within a year of installing and continues to assist us in reducing our energy usage. In 2019 before getting a new boiler and installing the Wiser system our annual gas usage was around 11,000kWh, our current estimated annual gas usage is 7,004kWh, just under 2/3 of the amount." – Thomas, Wiser customer
"I've compared our usage in February 2022 (pre-wiser) to February 2023 and the difference was about 400 kWh of gas that month. That's about £16 of gas in a month where we've used the heating so a pretty substantial saving." – Fiona, Wiser customer
"I've saved about 20% on my energy bills, over £300 a year!" – Adam, Wiser customer
For more advice on staying safe and well in severe weather conditions, visit the Met Office website