How flicking one switch on your boiler can save you money

We’re all looking for quick and easy ways to save money - but there’s one small thing you could do that save you £120 a year.

All you need to do is press one button on your boiler.

What is “summer mode”?

Most modern boilers have a setting called “summer mode” or “hot water only”. 

It’s usually marked with a small sun or tap icon on the boiler control panel. 

When turned on, this setting switches off your central heating, but keeps your hot water running as usual.

This is perfect for the spring and summer months, when you don’t need to use your radiators, but still want hot water for showers or washing up.

How does it save you money?

By disabling your heating system when it’s not needed, summer mode can cut unnecessary energy use, especially if your boiler is still heating unused radiators.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Nils Hoogervorst of solar energy supplier GreenMatch, said: “Flicking your boiler to summer mode can decrease your energy bills by more than 10% - providing savings of up to £20 a month.”

Why not just turn the boiler off?

You might be asking wouldn’t it just be better to power the whole boiler down at this time of year?

But completely switching it off can cause its pumps and valves to seize up.

So it’s best to keep the boiler ticking over on summer mode than risk spending more in the long run on costly repairs.

Get your boiler serviced this summer

This is also the perfect time to book a boiler service.

If you get it serviced during the warmer months, you can be confident it’s in top condition when you need the heating on in winter.

A service typically costs around £100, which might sound steep at first.

But it’s much better than having your boiler break down in the depths of winter and paying for expensive repairs when you need it most.