3 free ways to stay warm without energy bills soaring as snow is forecast for the UK

Detailed summary

Snow is on the way! (Picture: AFP via Getty Images) Brits are being warned to brace for a colder spell this week, with snow potentially on the way to parts of the country. The…

Brits are being warned to brace for a colder spell this week, with snow potentially on the way to parts of the country.

The latest Met Office forecast suggests hill snow across North Wales, northern England and Scotland from Tuesday, along with plunging temperatures throughout the UK.

As winter approaches, many households will be thinking about turning their heating up to keep the cold at bay.

But as energy costs continue to put pressure on household budgets — with the typical household paying around £144 a month for gas and electricity — finding ways to stay warm without sending bills soaring is more important than ever.

Thankfully however, there are a few simple things you can do before the cold snap hits to improve your heating efficiency without spending a penny.

This tiny tweak can save £100 a year if you have a combi boiler – and you won’t notice the difference.

Your boiler comes with a default ‘flow temperature’, which controls how hot the water is when it leaves your boiler to heat your radiators.

According to Zoe Morris, savings expert at VoucherCodes.co.uk, most boilers are set to run at 70°C to 80°C, but they actually work more efficiently (and cheaply) at a lower temperature.

‘By reducing the flow temperature to around 60°C, your boiler doesn’t have to work as hard, which means it uses less gas and, therefore, costs less to run,’ she told Metro.

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