Advice on the optimal times to switch your heating on and off to cut energy costs.
How to time your heating to trim energy costs
As most readers will be aware, heating your home in the UK is a bit of a balancing act. One minute you’re freezing in your own front room, the next you’ve cranked it up to sauna levels and you’re peeling yourself off the leather sofa like a human Fruit Winder. So, what are the best times to use your heating for maximum savings?
Well, you don’t have to suffer for savings. And you certainly don’t need to live like you’re part of a Wim Hof documentary. With a bit of savvy timing and a few smart heating tweaks, you can keep your home warm and your energy bills under control.
So, when is the best time to use your heating to ensure maximum comfort and minimal cost? Grab a brew, wrap yourself in a dressing gown worthy of a late-night corner shop run, and let’s take a look.
Morning: Rise and shine
Picture this: the alarm goes off, your feet hit the floor…and instantly regret it. It’s happened plenty of times before. You shuffle toward the kettle with the all the might of a pensioner after leg day. Why? Because you left the heating off overnight and now your bedroom has the ambience of a walk-in freezer.
The fix:
- Set your heating to activate between 30 to 60 minutes before you wake up.
- Allow it to warm the room gradually, so you’re not jolted awake by the thermal equivalent of a slap in the face.
- Turn it off or way down as you leave, so you’re not wasting money heating an empty space. (You might set a reminder on your phone or smart device to switch it off at your typical exit time).
bestheating tip: If your house is well insulated, that warmth should carry you through most of the morning as necessary.
Daytime: Heat the space you occupy
We’re all for comfort, but heating your entire home while you sit in one room is like microwaving the whole leftover takeaway pizza from the night before when you can still only manage a slice or two.
If you’re at home:
- Use smart TRVs to only heat up the rooms that are in use.
- Keep other spaces at a comfortable “background” temperature – think somewhere around 15–17°C. Enough to keep the damp at bay without melting the chocolate you left out on the worktop.
If you’re out:
- Don’t turn the heating off completely, just turn it down.
- Around 14–16°C is perfect for an empty house. Keeps things ticking over without making your boiler panic when you finally get home and ask it to raise the temperature for a cosy feel.
Smart move: Set a “return home” time so your house welcomes you with open, toasty arms (or heated home radiators).
Evening: Primetime for warmth (and overspending)
Evenings are when most of us go full furnace. But here’s the kicker: you don’t need to put the heating on at full blast all evening. You want comfort, not combustion.
Better habits:
- Switch the heating on about 30–45 minutes before you get home.
- Set the lounge or main living space to around 19–21°C – comfortable without sweating like you’re halfway through a spin class.
- Use blankets and layers to do some of the legwork. They’ve been training for this all year.
bestheating insight: The biggest mistake people make? Cranking the thermostat up to 25°C thinking it’ll heat faster. It won’t. That’s not how thermostats work. That’s how you overheat your dog and double your energy bill.
Night-time: Cool, calm and cost-efficient
Contrary to what your nan might have told you, you don’t need the heating on full all night. In fact, most of us sleep better in cooler rooms, and Healthline recommends a temperature ranging between 16 and 18 degrees for optimal sleep.
Night-time sweet spot:
- Bedrooms: 16–18°C is the goldilocks zone for sleep.
- Whole-house heating? No need. Keep it low, especially in unused spaces.
- If you’re worried about frozen pipes or waking up like a human icicle, set the heating to stay on at a relatively low, consistent level overnight.
Hot tip (ironically): Invest in a good quality duvet. Your heating system shouldn’t be doing the extra lifting your bedding was designed for.
Weekends: Lazy days, smart schedules
For those lucky enough to be afforded the luxury, weekends are often for slow starts, pyjamas until noon, and perhaps a touch of panic cleaning if guests are on the way. But don’t let your relaxed vibe escalate into heating chaos.
Smarter weekend heating:
- Nudge your weekday schedule to a little bit later, but stick to similar on/off patterns where possible.
- Focus warmth on lived-in rooms: think the kitchen, lounge, and the spot where you pretend to read while scrolling your phone.
- Don’t heat the spare room just for the sake of it. Unless the in-laws are coming for a weekend over, then heat it just enough that it’s polite, but not so much they get too comfortable.
Off-peak heating: If you're on a time-of-use tariff
If your energy plan includes off-peak rates – such as Economy 7 or Agile Octopus – then you’ll want to play the tariff game smart.
What to do:
- Pre-heat your home during cheap rate times if you’re using storage heaters or well-insulated electric radiators.
- Avoid high-rate windows (usually early evening) if possible. Unless you enjoy watching your smart meter throw a tantrum.
Professional move: Use smart heating controls to schedule your heating around your tariff. Or just set it once and forget about it, because you’ve got better things to do than play whack-a-mole with your heating system.
Smart controls = Savings on autopilot
If remembering to adjust your heating feels like a chore, don’t worry. Smart controls are here to save your bacon, and your bank balance.
They enable you to:
- Schedule by the minute, mood or zone
- Control your home heating from the pub, the beach, or your bed (or anywhere else you can access your smartphone)
- Keep the heating turned off when nobody’s at home
- Switch the heating on just in time for you to arrive home with a smug look
bestheating tip: Even simple programmable timers on radiators or boiler controls can save you a pretty penny over the course of a full year. If your heating system was last updated when Snake was a mobile phone staple, it’s probably time for a tech upgrade.
Common timing mistakes to avoid
“Leave it on low all day – it’s more efficient”
That’s a myth unless your home is insulated to NASA standards. So unless you’re rocking around the house head to toe in your silver jumpsuit like a budget Katy Perry, you’ll just be bleeding energy into the void.
“Blast it for an hour, then turn it off again”
You’ll be too hot, then too cold, then back on the thermostat wondering what went wrong. Choose consistency over chaotic scheduling.
“It’s cold. Crank it to 30°C.”
Your boiler won’t work any faster, and you’ll almost certainly have to turn it straight down again to be any way comfortable by the time it does!
Stay warm, smart and sorted with bestheating
Getting your heating timing right doesn’t mean shivering through winter like you’re doing penance for enjoying a hot shower. It means working cleverly with your home, your routine, and your system to provide warmth as and when required at an appropriate BTU ouput, and dial back a touch when it isn’t.
Think ahead. Use smart controls. Zone your space. Dress in layers (ideally not just socks and despair). And remember: a warm home is great. A warm home that doesn’t cost the world is even better.
For a more detailed breakdown, browse our ultimate guide to energy efficient heating. And please let us know of your best times to use your heating, or any top heating hacks and tips to trim energy costs in the comments, or by reaching out to us on Instagram, Facebook or X.
John is a Research Specialist for the Best Heating Advice Centre, where for over nine years he has dedicated himself to demystifying home heating for our customers. He specialises in creating clear, data-driven guides and how-to articles by collaborating directly with our team of certified heating experts and product engineers.
His work, built on a foundation of journalistic research, has helped millions of readers make confident and informed decisions about their home heating. When he’s not breaking down the heat output differentials from radiators to heated towel rails, John fancies himself as a fine football and music connoisseur.
