During the coldest months of the year, heating the home is a priority despite the fact that energy prices continue to rise, causing heating costs to rise every day. Although the cost of electricity or gas does not seem to be willing to make it easy for us, there are some small gestures that can go a long way to reduce, or at least keep under control, the cost of having a good temperature at home.
If you are wondering how to save on heating, don’t miss this article in which we give you some tips, as simple as they are effective, so that you save on heating, without being cold and reducing energy expenditure to also contribute to the care environment.
How to save on heating?
Ventilate
Opening the windows of each room for 10-15 minutes each day is a basic health and hygiene measure, which allows the air we breathe to circulate and renew itself, but in winter, you have to do it for just those few minutes, preferably without the heating is on and, when possible, taking advantage of the central hours of the day, when the outside temperature is higher. Of course, after ventilation, you have to remember to close it again, because oversights of this type cause all the heat to escape through the window and you have to spend much more on heating.
Check your heating system
If your heating cost has skyrocketed, it may not only be due to the current rise in prices but also to other factors that are increasing it. An inefficient boiler may require excess energy to produce the heat your home needs. A revision, which includes changing filters, cleaning burners or pressure regulation, can mean savings in heating that you do not expect. Also, check other elements such as radiators. Purging them to remove any air that may be inside them will help the circuit to work in optimal conditions, providing you with more heat with less energy consumption. Remember that radiators are not designed to dry clothes in winter.
Strengthen the enclosures
Reinforcing the enclosures is one of the simplest measures that you can put into practice when it comes to saving on heating. If your windows do not fit well and cold air leaks through the space between the doors and the floor, you will need more heating to be at a suitable temperature. Check that your windows close hermetically and if not, resort to practical solutions such as door seals, silicone sealing of the sides of sliding doors, rubber for windows or double glazing.
Take advantage of sunlight and fireplaces
Although it is winter and the sun is less hot than in spring or summer, we can continue to benefit from the heat provided by the sun’s rays. If you have blinds and curtains, remember to raise them at noon so that the sun hits the windows and they retain heat for hours, thus helping you to save heating in your home in the most natural way possible.
In addition, another simple way to heat the house without spending so much on gas and electricity is to use the fireplace, if you have one. Fire is another natural element that will help us heat the house, so if you have a fireplace or hearth, do not hesitate to keep it in good condition to use it.
Keep a constant temperature
This is the basic measure to control heating costs. The temperature in your home should be kept between 18ºC – 19ºC, reaching a maximum of 20ºC. Pretending to be in short sleeves inside the house (as if it were summer) by turning up the heating does not make much sense and can lead to a very high cost. It is also important to avoid sudden increases and decreases in heating. An intermediate temperature, which remains constant for the hours you consider necessary, is a good way to control spending.
Use textiles as allies
Another of the most basic measures to avoid being cold at home without spending a lot on the heating bill is to learn how to decorate the house for winter. Curtains, rugs, cushions and warm sofa covers, tapestries or wall fabrics, are objects that not only help to decorate a room making it more welcoming, they also provide warmth. They will keep you warm if you sit or are in contact with them and, depending on where you place them, they will prevent the cold that can pass through the window panes (if they are not double or if it is very cold outside) from spreading throughout the room.
Use a good blanket
A good way to save heating is not to use it at night since, in most cases, blankets and duvets provide enough heat. However, keep in mind that if the night is really cold and you consider that it is necessary to put on the heating, but you want to try to save on its cost, then we recommend you adjust it to a maximum temperature of between 15 ºC and 17 ºC.
Use heating with a thermostat
Heating systems with thermostats that control heating, both turning it on and turning it off automatically when the set temperature is reached, are excellent allies when it comes to not spending more heating than necessary. In addition, even if they turn off the heating automatically after noticing that the room temperature is already the indicated one if it drops again, the system turns on again to keep the temperature stable at the degrees that we have programmed.
Control the temperature of each room
It is not only important to maintain a stable temperature throughout the house, avoiding sudden rises, it is also essential to adjust the heating to the ideal temperature required by each room. For example, an empty room, which is not used, can be perfectly closed and with the radiator removed. Also, in a kitchen, where there is activity (with stove or oven on), it will suffice for the heating to be at a minimum, or even in the kitchen, the radiator can also be canceled, while in the living room and bedrooms, perhaps need to go up a few more degrees. Paying attention to the heat needs that each room requires is a good way to save heating because, as pointed out by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition of Spain [1], each degree less than the average temperature of a home means reducing heating energy consumption by around 10%.
Finally, when it comes to controlling spending on heating, look at what rate the energy supply company is applying to you and find out about other possible options that, perhaps, could be more interesting when it comes to saving on heating.
