Operating Your Home: Heating
As the colder months kick in, keeping warm in our homes can be a daily challenge, especially when factoring in the rising costs of heating.
The best solution would be to talk to us about upgrading the building fabric, installing an energy efficient heating unit and looking for opportunities to implement passive solar design strategies.
But that is not an overnight solutions, so we’ve put together a quick guide outlining how you might heat your home more efficiently this winter, to not only reduce your costs, but also reduce your carbon footprint.
3 ways to instantly lower your energy use:
1. Set your thermostat between 18 to 20°C through winter. (Every 1 degree can have a 5-10% effect on energy use.)
2. Give your heaters a thorough clean and even consider getting them serviced.
3. If the sun isn't hitting your window and you’re not getting useful daylight, close your curtains and blinds to lock any heat in.
Heating Types
You should consider what kind of heating you have and how to get the most out of it
Radiant heaters like hydronic panels, fire places or electric panels typically heat people and objects. The closer you are to them, the warmer you'll be. As much of their energy does go into heating the objects in a space, it can make sense to leave them on at a lower setting if your leaving the space for a short amount of time.
Convection heaters like ducted or split systems heat the air in a room. Preventing air leakage and 'zoning' is more crucial with these systems. Modern reverse cycle systems are typically the most efficient and prioritising their use can significantly reduce your home’s energy consumption.
Where are you spending your time?
Are some rooms in your house naturally warmer? Consider arranging your home so that you can spend the most time in these spaces.
If you're spending a lot of time in one spot, for instance you're working from home, make that space work for you. Smaller spaces are typically going to use much less energy to heat so consider using relocating to a smaller space.
It also makes a lot of sense for the members of your household spend time in the same spaces to reduce the need to heat a room per person.
Zoning
Be mindful to only heat the spaces you need.
Control this by separating spaces in your home by doors, windows and any unused vents.
Also be mindful of any heat being pulled up through stairwells!
Some easy and obvious things you may not be doing:
- Turn the heating down / off at night, double the blankets if you must!
- Rearrange your furniture so that you're closer to your heater.
- Your kitchen produces a lot of heat, use that to your advantage.
Clothing:
Rug up my friends. Remember, every degree counts.