LEAVING THE HEATING ON CAN LAND YOU IN HOT WATER

One in four of us regularly leave the heating on when it’s not needed – either by accident when we’re out for the day or have gone away, or out of habit.

More than 7.3 million people are also turning up the heating without realising the extra cost it creates.

Analysis by finance comparison website finder.com estimates that an hour of heating costs an average of 39p, meaning a day with the heating on sets households back £3.13.

That might not sound much but add it up – over a week that’s a total of £21.91, and for a month it’s £93.90.

The rising cost of gas and electricity means around one quarter of people worry about their power bills, finder.com revealed.

Jon Ostler, chief executive at the comparison firm, said: “People need to be aware of their energy costs more than ever as most of the Big Six energy firms have recently raised their rates from April in response to Ofgem’s price cap rise on standard variable tariffs.

“This is set to cost most households over £100 more per year, so forgetting to turn the heating off on warmer days could set you back a surprising amount.

“Another simple way to save money is to turn your heating down by just a degree or two. Turning the heat down by one degree could save up to 10% on your heating bill.”