Anyone with a boiler in their home is being urged to make a simple 60-second change to slash up to £87 off their energy bills.

Winter is always a tough time of the year for household budgets, with expensive heating costs and Christmas shopping putting pressure on finances. To help ease the financial burden, energy experts recommend making a quick adjustment to the flow temperature of your boiler, as it can result in big savings without making much of a noticeable difference to the temperature of your heating and hot water. Most boilers are set too high by default to a temperature of around 70C to 80C, and while this setting ensures fast heating, it wastes energy as excess heat escapes through the boiler flue.

But if you turn the flow temperature down and set it between 55C and 60C instead, you can cut your energy bills by 12% and save up to £87 per year as a result.

At this slightly lower temperature, boilers can operate in “condensing mode” which is more efficient as it recovers heat that would otherwise be lost. This adjustment also doesn’t reduce the thermostat’s set temperature, although it means your radiators may take slightly longer to warm up.

Octopus Energy said: “Your boiler’s flow setting controls the temperature water is when it leaves your boiler. Its default setting is usually too high. Turn it down a bit and your home will feel just as warm, but you could cut your energy bills by 12% and save up to £87 according to Nesta.

“If you have a combi boiler, we recommend setting your flow temperature to 50c for heating and 55C for hot water to save energy.

“If you have a boiler and a hot water cylinder, we recommend setting the flow temperature on your boiler to a few degrees over 60c for heating and hot water, and setting your hot water cylinder to 60C (you’ll usually find the control for your cylinder ⅓ of the way up the tank).”

Adjusting the flow temperature of your boiler is a simple process that should only take you around one minute to do.

Stephen Day, a Heating Engineer at iHeat, explains: “To adjust your flow temperature, locate the Flow Temperature Control – find the dial or digital setting on your boiler panel, often marked with a radiator symbol.

“Adjust the Temperature. If the control has numbers set it to 60C, if no numbers are shown use the midpoint as a general guide.

“Monitor Your Heating. Check your home’s warmth and adjust slightly if needed. If your boiler is connected to a hot water tank, consult a professional before making this change to avoid unintended issues.”

Now is the ideal time to make small cost-saving measures around your home as energy bills are set to rise by 0.2% from January 1 when Ofgem’s new price cap takes effect.

The energy regulator has said energy bills will rise by around 28p per month for the average dual-fuel household in England, Scotland and Wales.

It means the average household paying by direct debit for gas and electricity will see their annual bill go from £1,755 per year up to £1,758.

The price cap sets the maximum rate per unit and standing charge that customers can be charged by suppliers for their energy use but not the total bill, so those who use more energy ultimately pay more.

While the price cap won’t affect households on fixed tariffs, it still pays to cut costs where you can and adjusting your boiler temperature is a very quick and simple way to save money.