As our heating season ends on 15 May, heating will generally be switched off across sites and recommence on 15 October. Depending on your building’s setup, heating may need to be switched from winter to summer mode, adjusted in the Building Management System (BMS), or turned off manually where systems use boiler controls or timer clocks.
Our facilities management colleagues will manage this for you to make sure buildings operate efficiently and consistently. However, there are simple actions you can take on site to help maintain comfort and improve energy efficiency as temperatures continue to fluctuate.
How we manage heating across different room types
- We aim to deliver 21°C in offices within a range of 19°C to 23°C.
- We aim to deliver 22°C in non-bedded clinical settings within a range of 20°C to 25°C.
- We aim to deliver 23°C in bedded clinical settings within a range of 18°C to 28°C.
What you can do to keep your spaces comfortable
1. Keep us informed of any changes
Heating schedules are aligned to building activity, so please let us know if:
- Your opening hours change
- Only part of the building is being used
- Rooms are being used briefly by visiting teams
This helps us make sure heating isn’t running 24/7 in areas where it’s not needed.
2. Use ventilation and sunlight wisely
Small adjustments can make a big difference to comfort and energy use:
- Avoid opening windows or doors when heating or cooling is running
- Use natural ventilation, when possible, instead of heating or cooling
- Close blinds to reduce solar gain and prevent rooms from overheating
3. Make the most of local controls
Consider adding Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRV) to your heating system and regularly checking to make sure they’re working properly. TRVs allow you to control the temperature of each radiator and each room, so you're not wasting heat on a room that isn’t used often. You can also insulate your radiator pipes to reduce heat loss and improve the efficiency of your radiators. Turning heating down by just 1°C can reduce energy use by around 8%.
4. Avoid plug-in heaters and fans
Portable heaters and fans can interfere with building wide controls and significantly increase energy use. When possible, try to ventilate naturally. If a room feels unusually cold or hot, please report it.
5. Manage unused rooms
If a space isn’t being used:
- Turn off cooling
- Turn down heating (frost protection will still operate)
6. Report any functional heating issues
This includes:
- Local controls (such as TRVs) not responding
- Thermostats located incorrectly for example, in direct sunlight, above radiators, or in unoccupied floors/areas.
Want more help?
If you need support with a non‑urgent heating or building issue, you can raise a query through Connect. For urgent issues, please call us on 0808 196 2045.
If you’re unsure whether a heating issue is urgent or non-urgent, you can read our guide to help you differentiate.
