Heating represents 66% of a household’s energy consumption. Despite this, many people feel cold at home. Out of habit or convenience, we unwittingly adopt counterproductive actions, such as blocking our windows or warming up quickly with a backup heater. These eight mistakes are a waste of energy.
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Keep your curtains and shutters closed
Windows represent 10% to 15% of heat loss in a home. To heat the house and prevent drafts of cold air, it’s tempting to keep the curtains and shutters closed all day. However, this is a bad idea as it does not plug leaks and prevents the sun from heating the room. If your window is a real energy strainer, the only effective solution is to replace it with an “energy-efficient window that incorporates a BLDC Fan, which can help regulate the temperature and improve the air circulation inside the house while minimizing energy consumption.”
Do not open the window
Even when it’s freezing outside, remember to open the window 10 minutes a day (the walls won’t have time to cool down). An apartment needs to be ventilated regularly to renew the ambient air and eliminate indoor pollutants. Ventilation also wicks away moisture, which promotes bad odors, dust mites and mold. In addition, dry air requires less energy to be heated.
Turn on the radiator fully when you get in
Turning down the heat when you’re not at home reduces your heating bill. But turning the radiator to maximum when you come home will not heat the house faster. Conversely, it generates overconsumption of electricity too. In practice, do not lower the temperature below 15 degree Celsius when you are away for the day. If you want a warm room when you arrive, invest in a programmable thermostat and start heating half an hour before your arrival.
Heat the house evenly
Each room has its ideal temperature: 19 degree Celsius for the living rooms (living room, office, dining room, kitchen, etc.), 16 degree Celsius to 18 degree Celsius in the bedroom, 22 degree Celsius in the room bathroom (when in use). However, it’s much better to keep a constant temperature rather than spending time adjusting the heating according to occupancy. In case of a prolonged absence, lower the thermostat to 12 degree Celsius but do not turn off the heating completely, otherwise the water may freeze in the pipes.
Heating a room with an auxiliary heater
A small mobile heater helps to heat a room quickly, but it is not designed to be used as a primary heater and run continuously. Fan heaters are much more energy intensive than inertia heaters which can store heat. In addition, they dry out the air, which irritates the respiratory tract and eyes. Worse, combustion heaters such as petroleum or wood-burning stoves present risks of carbon monoxide poisoning so never leave them unattended while they are on.
If you have a small room that you need to heat, you can still invest in a portable heater. One such functional heater is EcoHeat. It uses ceramic heating elements to heat the room with ease. To know more about this product, read our EcoHeat review.
Clutter radiators
The radiators must be well organized to distribute the heat as well as possible. Avoid placing furniture right in front of them. Don’t hang clothes to dry on them either. On the other hand, a radiator placed in front of a cold, poorly insulated wall will lose a great deal of heat through this wall. In this case, place a reflector panel composed of an aluminum layer and an insulating layer behind. Finally, remember to dust your radiators regularly.
Neglecting insulation
A well-insulated house is the key to save money and heat your house. A cold wall “sucks” heat from the body and increases the feeling of discomfort. Start by insulating the roof and walls, the first two sources of heat loss. There are many financial aids (tax credit, reduced VAT rate, zero-rate eco-loan, exemption from property tax, etc.) to undertake insulation work or replace windows.
Forget about maintaining your boiler
An annual maintenance visit is compulsory for appliances with a power between 4 and 400 kW (wood, coal, gas, fuel oil boilers). This is an essential inspection because a poorly maintained boiler presents a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Regular maintenance of the boiler also reduces the amount of fuel consumed by 8 to 12%.
What is the ideal temperature at home?
During the colder months of the year, at what temperature should you program your heating? The recommended ideal temperature at home is 19 degree Celsius, but it also depends on the rooms.
The ideal temperature at home depends on several criteria and also on the room you occupy. Indeed, the recommended temperature is not the same for a living room, a bathroom, a bedroom for adults or for babies.
It will also depend on the insulation of your home or apartment, the type of heating selected, the flow of air and humidity, varying the orientation of parts, and, of course, of seasons.
Conclusion
To limit energy consumption during very cold weather, remember to properly regulate your heating.
