British Gas, EDF, EON, Ovo, Octopus customers handed £80 for pressing button on thermostat

British Gas, EDF, EON, Ovo and Octopus customers have been urged to consider flicking a button on their smart apps - or switching their thermostat themselves physically - to save money.

The exact temperature to set your central heating to 'save £80' on energy bills has been revealed. British Gas, EDF, EON, Ovo and Octopus customers have been urged to consider flicking a button on their smart apps - or switching their thermostat themselves physically - to save money.

The Energy Saving Trust spoke out ahead of the £1717 energy price cap coming into force on Tuesday, October 1. It said: "Consider new controls if you don't have a programmer, room thermostat, or TRVs. Modern thermostats have more accurate sensors and many smart controls offer additional energy saving features."

"If you're feeling warm enough, lowering your thermostat from 22C to 21C can save you £80 annually", the Trust noted. The experts explained: "Remember that room thermostats need a free flow of air to sense the temperature, so they should not be blocked by curtains or furniture, or placed in direct sunlight or near heat sources that could give them false readings".

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The thermostat should be set to the lowest comfortable temperature, typically between 18°C and 21°C. You don’t need to turn your room thermostat up when it is colder outside; the house will heat up to the set temperature whatever the weather, however it may take a little longer on colder days.

Turning up your room thermostat won’t make your home heat any faster, the EST adds. Also, bear in mind that room thermostats need a free flow of air to sense the temperature, so make sure they’re not blocked by curtains or furniture, and keep them away from heat sources, the Energy Saving Trust said.

A timer or programmer allows you to control when your heating and hot water comes on and when it goes off, the EST said. Your boiler should have a dial or a digital temperature setting, usually marked in numbers or from minimum (min) to maximum (max).