Autumn has made its entrance, bringing cooler temperatures after a hot summer.
Brits are now pondering when to switch on their central heating for the first time this year. Vaillant, a boiler and heat pump company in Derbyshire, has analyzed UK weather data to determine the recommended date for turning on the heating system.
According to experts, the national average date for switching on the heating is October 3, earlier than the usual mid-month recommendation around the 13th. They advise that once temperatures drop below 15.5°C in October, it’s a good time to inspect heating systems before activation.
Experts emphasize the importance of checking boilers and heating systems in preparation for the colder weather to ensure efficiency, comfort, and potential savings on energy bills.
While the national average suggests October 3 as the ideal date, regional differences in the UK are significant. In Bradford, households typically start heating as early as September 24, the earliest among cities like Sheffield, where residents act promptly.
The trend continues with cities like Nottingham and Birmingham following closely behind, starting heating around September 29 and September 30, respectively. This pattern indicates that the Midlands experiences a temperature drop by the end of September.
Liverpool and Manchester show a similar trend, with Manchester residents usually switching on heating by September 26, and Liverpool slightly later, around October 2. In northern cities like Glasgow and Newcastle, the heating season starts around September 25 and September 26 due to the early arrival of cold weather.
On the other hand, London and Southampton are outliers with much later heating switch-on dates. Londoners typically wait until October 23, while Southampton residents delay until October 26, marking the latest switch-on date in the dataset.
Experts attribute these delayed dates in southern cities to milder climates and possible influences of higher energy costs on behavior.