Households across the UK are being urged to make a simple heating change in March.

The start of the spring season is fast approaching, which means another clock change will soon be upon us, officially marking the start of British Summer Time. While it means losing an hour of sleep, it also means longer days, brighter evenings and the start of warmer weather after what’s been a particularly long and cold winter.

But as the clocks go forward by one hour at 1am on Sunday, March 29, households are urged to make an adjustment to their heating.

Energy efficiency expert, Stephen Hankinson at Electric Radiators Direct, said: “Adjust your thermostat ahead of daylight-saving time on 29 March – you could save over £270 a year.

“It’s important to check your thermostat as soon as possible after the clocks spring forward on the 29th March. If your thermostat isn’t digital, you will need to manually adjust the time so that your heating turns on and off at the times you want it to. Most modern thermostats have smart features and will automatically adjust, but it’s worth double-checking.

“Similarly, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on your set heating temperature. Whilst British weather can be unpredictable, spring does tend to bring more frequent warmer days, so you’re less likely to need the heating on every day.

“But if you’re concerned about the early mornings being slightly chillier and you don’t want to turn your heating off completely, just reducing your heating temperature by 3C can help save energy bills. In fact, going by the latest average usage figures, dropping from 21C to 18C could save over £270 a year.”

Experts recommend using a timer or programmer so you can control when your heating comes on and when it goes off, meaning you aren’t running it and racking up costs when you don’t need to.

It is generally advised that you set the central heating programme to come on around half an hour before you get up and to turn off around half an hour before you go to bed, and remember to adjust this when the clocks change in late October.

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Octopus Energy added: “Tweaking your thermostat (using it as an on/off switch or boost for example) can mean more energy is wasted – you’ll be comfier and use your energy more efficiently if you set it and leave it on for when you need it. Setting your thermostat to somewhere between 18-21C is ideal.”