A programmable thermostat is one of the most practical and cost-effective tools for reducing your heating bills. Yet most people who have one either set it up once and forget it, or never get around to programming it properly. Here’s how to use it to its full potential.

The Core Principle: Only Heat When You Need It

Central heating running when no one is home, or while everyone is in bed under duvets, is wasted energy. A programmable thermostat lets you automatically reduce or turn off heating during these periods, then bring the house back up to temperature before you need it — without you having to remember to manually adjust anything.

The Energy Saving Trust estimates that using a programmer and thermostat correctly can save a typical household around £75–150 per year on heating bills.

Setting Up a Basic Programme

Most programmable thermostats allow you to set different temperatures for different periods of the day, typically with settings for weekdays and weekends separately. A common efficient schedule might look like:

• 6:30am–8:30am: 20°C (morning routine)
• 8:30am–4:30pm: 16°C or off (house empty)
• 4:30pm–10:30pm: 20°C (home in the evening)
• 10:30pm–6:30am: 16°C or frost protection only

Adjust the times to match your actual routine. The key is accuracy — a programme that reflects how you actually live is far more effective than a generic one.

The 1°C Rule

Turning your thermostat down by just 1°C — say from 21°C to 20°C — can reduce your heating bill by around 10%. Many households heat to 21°C or higher as a default, but most people find 19–20°C comfortable, especially with good insulation and draught-proofing in place.

Smart Thermostats vs Programmable Thermostats

Traditional programmable thermostats require you to set a fixed schedule. Smart thermostats (Hive, Nest, Tado, etc.) go further — they learn your habits, can be controlled remotely via an app, and some detect when you’re on your way home to start heating. They cost more (£100–250 installed), but the convenience and additional flexibility often leads to greater savings than a basic programmable model.

If you frequently deviate from your schedule — early starts, late evenings, working from home some days — a smart thermostat’s app-based control pays for itself quickly.

Zone Control for Multi-Room Savings

If you have thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) on individual radiators, you can reduce heating in rooms you don’t use much (spare bedrooms, dining rooms used only at weekends). Keep these at around 2–3 on the valve scale and focus heat on the rooms where you actually spend time.

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