Replace your thermostat with something that does a better job for you! 

Save energy by simple control of time and temperature. 

            Twice on twice off is not the way to do it. 

Your new controller will pay for itself. 

For the past forty or more years thermostats have been used in conjunction with so called central heating programmers to control the vast majority of domestic heating systems in the United Kingdom. During this same period much has changed, life styles, expectations, microprocessors have become widespread, we have had an energy crisis and  as a result of this and the increasing cost of fuel we are now becoming more and more energy conscious.  Yet we still use thermostats to control our central heating systems.  We live in the twenty first century and significant amounts energy and consequently money can be saved by getting rid of the thermostat, it is not doing a proper job. Do heating systems really want to be twice on twice off at the same temperature? I think that in the morning our home should to be warm but not very warm so let’s say  18°C.  During the morning if no one is in the temperature of the house could be allowed to fall, but not below 15°C.  If someone is in at lunchtime then up to 18°C again. Later it could come up to that temperature again and then in the evening up to say 21°C. At bed time the heating switches off but does not let the house get cooler than 14°C during the night.  At weekends during the afternoon and evening  21°C may be best as much of the time is spent sitting quietly.  Clearly this number of temperature changes could not be controlled by a conventional programmer or thermostat arrangement. Also it would not be any good walking in at say lunch time and twiddling the thermostat as by the time the house had warmed up you would be on your way out again. Many people who do not understand thermostats just use them as on/off switches – this is terribly uneconomical. 

To properly control a heating system I strongly recommend a chronostat or programmable room thermostat. For those into app based solutions the nest may be a good way to go https://nest.com/uk/.  These replaces the programmer and thermostat and easily copes with all the above changes of temperature during the weekly cycle. The unit saves a lot of money because its brain switches off the boiler at a point just before the design temperature is reached but such that it is achieved and then maintains it. Temperature overshoot which occurs with nearly all thermostats can account for  a few percent of a heating bill. Running a home three degrees warmer than necessary or desired results in higher heating bills. The controllers that I am recommending can be quickly adjusted should friends call, they can be programmed for holidays at home or away to maintain the home at a constant temperature. Additionally they will automatically act as a frost thermostats never allowing the  house get cooler than 8°C for example. Use the contact form if you would like to know which one to buy.

These do cost between £70 and £150 but are simple and quick to fit in place of existing room thermostats. They pay for themselves within the first year on a DIY basis and in a couple of years if you pay someone to do it. The app based ones do cost a little more but any of them will pay for themselves fairly quickly.

Many people are running their homes far too warm, even hot and wearing a pullover or more clothes would save a lot of energy and some serious thinking about set temperatures ought to be a priority for all of us.