The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) estimates that eight million UK homes don’t have heating controls, yet according to the Energy Saving Trust, even just fitting a room thermostat can provide an annual saving of £70.

Latest DECC figures reveal that the average standard electricity and gas bills in 2014 rose by £15 and £23 respectively from 2013. With more than half the cost of these fuel bills in a typical UK household going towards heating and hot water, having an efficient heating system is crucial. Fortunately there is a simple, cost-effective way of making homes more energy efficient – controls.

Adam Foy, product manager at Ideal Boilers, said: “The possibilities are endless. Controls provide a great opportunity to win new business. Energy costs money and householders need to pay more attention to their heating system, and look at ways to use less energy and save their hard-earned cash.”

He continued: “There are a number of ways to do this, and installers are best placed to help homeowners. Quality heating controls and some good advice from their installer could save consumers a significant amount of money and keep their property comfortable throughout the winter. For example, with the addition of programmable controls comes increased peace of mind for householders, specifically when going on holiday.

“As well as installing controls, the use of additives such as inhibitors, cleansers and descalers are low-cost ways to keep heating systems running efficiently, so as little energy as possible is used.  More energy-conscious people could lead to lower energy bills, more work for installers and a healthier environment,” Mr Foy concluded.