To save heating costs in winter, a combination of conscious daily actions and addressing energy weaknesses in the house often helps. Many households turn down the heating, but overlook permanent heat leaks such as uninsulated pet doors.
With the right equipment and a few clever habits, you can create a comfortable home for humans and animals without energy costs skyrocketing.
What is the optimal room temperature to save energy?
The optimal room temperature depends on the use of the room and is ideally around 20 °C in living areas. Even a single degree less reduces heating costs by about 6 percent.
The following are considered guidelines for a healthy and efficient indoor climate:
- Living room: 20 °C
- Kitchen: 18 °C
- Bedroom: 17 °C
- Children's room: 22 °C
Our four-legged friends, by the way, show us how: they naturally adapt with their dense winter fur. A cozy sweater and warm socks help us humans achieve a comfortable temperature even without the heating running at full capacity permanently.
Why is shock ventilation better than tilted windows?
Permanently tilted windows exchange indoor air extremely slowly, but they cool down the walls around the window massively, which drastically increases heating requirements. Repeated, short bursts of shock ventilation, on the other hand, efficiently exchange the air without the building losing heat.
Open the windows wide for a few minutes (preferably creating a draft). The stale, humid air escapes quickly, while the heat stored in the massive walls and furniture remains and quickly reheats the room afterwards.
How can the natural warmth of the sun and household appliances be utilized?
Sunlight on clear winter days and the residual heat from kitchen appliances are free sources of warmth that can relieve the burden on radiators. Consciously open curtains and blinds during the day to let solar energy into the house.
Even after baking, it's worthwhile to leave the oven door slightly open so that the warm air flows into the room instead of dissipating unused. At night, curtains and roller blinds should be consistently closed again, as they act like an additional insulating layer in front of the glass.
Why do covered radiators reduce heating efficiency?
When radiators are hidden behind heavy curtains, sofas, or covers, the heat cannot freely distribute throughout the room. Heat builds up directly at the radiator, while the rest of the room remains cold and the thermostat keeps turning up.
Make sure all radiators are unobstructed. Only then can the air circulate optimally and heat the room efficiently and evenly.
What role do pet doors play in annual heating costs?
Conventional cat flaps and dog doors are often not airtight and act like a permanently open hole in the outer wall, through which expensive heating energy escapes. A thermally separated, automatic pet door like petWALK completely closes this energy leak.
While normal flaps cause drafts and allow the surrounding walls to cool down, petWALK offers insulation at modern passive house levels. This keeps the heat exactly where it belongs – in the living space. This noticeably and permanently reduces energy consumption.
How do I optimize heating when absent and at night?
For short absences or at night, the heating should not be switched off completely, but merely turned down to a setback temperature of about 15 °C to 16 °C. A complete cooling down of the house consumes significantly more energy when reheating later.
Programmable or smart thermostats help to control this setback automatically, so that the house is pleasantly tempered again punctually for your return or waking up.
Why should gurgling radiators be bled immediately?
A gurgling sound in the radiator is a clear sign of air in the heating system, which prevents warm water from distributing evenly. The radiator remains partially cold, even though energy is being consumed.
With a simple bleeding key, the excess air can be released in a few simple steps. As soon as the system is air-free, the heating will work at full efficiency again, immediately saving you money.
Conclusion: Identify weaknesses and save permanently
Saving heating costs starts with daily habits, but also requires looking at the hidden weaknesses of the house. Those who stop drafts, ventilate correctly, and avoid major heat leaks create a permanently energy-efficient home. Use the petWALK configurator to find your perfect alternative to a flap and save even more energy.
