Because a gas boiler is such a faithful, dependable servant, particularly when it is well-serviced and maintained, there are a lot of habits that we develop when we use it that we repeat day in and day out without thinking.
Most of them are relatively harmless if a little neglectful, such as having the boiler flow temperature set too high and thus causing your boiler to work a little harder than it should.
However, there are other habits that could be costing you more money than you might expect or even putting greater wear and tear on your boiler than you might expect, causing one of several common issues.
With that in mind, here are some of the most common gas boiler habits we hear about that surprisingly might be costing you money.
Constantly Turning Your Boiler On And Off
Whether you should turn your boiler off at all is a matter of serious debate, but turning your boiler off every time you leave the house could waste more energy. Why? Because turning it back on can be more energy intensive than keeping it on anti-frost mode.
For what it’s worth, you get very little benefit if you turn a combi boiler on and off due to its heavy reliance on smart controls, but sometimes an older conventional boiler can be shut off if you are not using a lot of hot water and your cylinder is topped up.
However, turning a boiler on uses far more energy than leaving it on, so if you are going to turn it off, it should be off for a while.
At the same time, however, make sure that it is not left off for too long, as this can cause internal damage to components and seals which are designed to constantly be in motion.
Turning The Thermostat Up To Get The House Hotter Faster
Most boilers have smart thermostats which are great for turning the boiler temperature on and off, setting the heating schedule to ensure the boiler is not heating an empty home and ensuring your central heating is set to the temperature you need.
However, there is a small misunderstanding that many homeowners have when they use smart controls; turning the temperature up does not heat up the home any quicker if it is set at 23 degrees Celsius than if it was set at 18 degrees Celsius.
This is a common error, but one that can prove costly; if your temperature is set too high, you are wasting energy often in the service of making your home feel less comfortable.
It is best to stick to the existing temperature and either put on a jumper or rely on an alternative source of heat until you reach your optimum temperature.
Take full advantage of your thermostat settings by setting the heating to turn on half an hour before you expect to need it, and turn off half an hour before you go to sleep or leave the house.
Turning The Radiators Down Without Changing The Boiler Settings
Many people will turn the radiators down to a lower setting in order to cool a room down and save themselves money. The former is absolutely true, but the latter is not the case unless you also set the boiler temperature lower.
If all the boilers are set low but the boiler is still set at 23 degrees Celsius, the boiler will not stop until it reaches that temperature, which can be remarkably costly.
Typically, you should keep the radiator closest to the boiler at the maximum temperature, as this will let you know the temperature your boiler is actively working at and ensure that your boiler system is set correctly for the needs of the house.
Delaying Your Boiler Service
Boilers are often installed out of sight, which means they can just as commonly end up out of mind as well, leading to delays in fixing issues that can cause more expensive repairs.
Ideally, you should book your boiler appointment when your boiler is not needed, typically in mid-spring up until late summer. Whilst the next-best time to book a service is as soon as possible, boiler engineers are increasingly busy as the autumnal chill begins to bite.
Exactly how costly this habit will be depends on how much you delay the service.
If you are waiting just a few extra months, the extra costs are likely to be minimal, but if you delay your service by a year or more, you are increasingly risking the chances of an expensive emergency callout.