Overview

• British Gas has issued a 10-step checklist for households, including bleeding radiators, insulating pipes, draught-proofing, and setting thermostats between 18C and 21C.
• Turning the thermostat down by one degree could save about £75 a year, with smart controls such as Hive estimated to trim up to £175 from annual bills.
• Most households switch heating on in late October or after four consecutive days below 9C, when call-outs surge, and British Gas logged more than 1.2 million boiler fixes last winter.
• Bionic forecasts outdoor temperatures dipping to around 15C from 13 October, aligning with NHS advice to start heating when it falls below that level and to aim for 18C indoors.
• Bionic estimates six hours of heating costs nearly £24 a day with an electric boiler versus just over £13 with gas, underscoring the case for efficiency steps and support such as British Gas Energy Trust grants of up to £1,700.