How to save heating? With winter, the cold inevitably arrives; and, with it, our need to combat it by turning on the heat. But, do we efficiently use this way of warming up our home? According to the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving , approximately half of our annual electricity consumption is driven by heating during the winter months. How can we reduce this consumption? Here are some tips:
Don’t overdo the temperature
Raising the temperature too much because when we get home we are very cold is not a good option. Strong rises in temperature will only lead us to spend even more. The thermostat should be adjusted to a low and comfortable setting , around 21-22 ºC , more than enough temperature to heat the home. It is not about wearing suspenders or short sleeves in the middle of winter, but about not being cold. Following this guideline we can save between 8 and 13% in consumption.
Laying rugs
In winter, dressing our floors with rugs , if we do not have parquet, laminated flooring or similar, it will be an ideal option to better retain heat and not be tempted to add degrees to the temperature we have chosen to feel comfort at home. And it is that the carpets allow to reduce the loss of heat by the floor.
Clothes do not dry on radiators
It is a very widespread custom, but not at all practical. To maintain an ideal thermal sensation without spending excessively on light, it is essential that we do not use radiators as dryers for wet clothes. Covering the radiator will only increase our electricity consumption and therefore also our bill.
Take advantage of the use of the oven
Do you tend to cook, bake cakes or cookies in winter using the oven? Well, to take advantage of the fact that you have turned on the oven, once you have finished cooking, leave the oven door completely open so that the heat is transferred to the house . A lot of heat is concentrated in this device, so by leaving the door open we let all that heat escape and heat up the kitchen and neighboring rooms for the same initial expense.
If no one is home, why leave the heat on?
If we are going to go to sleep or there is no one at home, the best way to save on heating is to turn it off. If you think that turning off the heating completely at night is excessive, programming the times when it should turn on and off will be the best option . You can program it to start one hour before you get home and turn off an hour after when you think you are going to be completely asleep. It will be infinitely more profitable than leaving the heating on 24 hours a day.
Insulation of the walls
About a third of all the heat lost in a home is through the walls and windows. Insulating the interior of the entire house could reduce our heating consumption by up to 15% and save a good pinch on the electricity bill. Related to this, allow as much sunlight as possible during the day and, at night, make sure that the blinds and windows are completely closed so that no heat escapes. These two actions will improve our feeling of warmth at home.
