If you have gas central heating and a hot water cylinder then you may benefit from checking the times at which your tank is heated. Most people with a system boiler and water tank will probably have a programmer or timeswitch programmer installed. Heating up the hot water tank makes sense just before you use hot water. You may decide to program it so that it comes on just before you wake up so that the water is hot for your morning shower, or have it come on in the late afternoon so that the tank is full of hot water for evening washing.

Do you use the timer for hot water or is the hot water on continuously all year round? When was the last time you checked it was on the timed setting and not on “continuous”? When was the last time you checked the clock was right and the on and off times were right for you?

The benefit is perhaps even more pronounced for heating than for hot water and this has been previously discussed. And remember, lower gas consumption means lower bills and lower greenhouse gas emissions from the boiler exhaust.

Whilst there are other systems available and smart devices to manage hot water on demand, here we’re looking only at how you can reduce gas usage using your existing simple timer without needing to spend anything. AIthough we haven’t reviewed temperature here, it is also worth noting that the thermostat control temperature of the hot water tank should ideally be set at 60°C or slightly above and it should regularly reach this temperature (at least once per week, preferably daily and before you use the hot water) to reduce the risk of bacteria growth (see the HSE guidance for more information on this if you are interested).

To read our older article on timed heating, have a look here.

To read about insulating the hot water tank, have a look here.

For other ways to save without spending, have a look here.