Top 3 Thermostat Mistakes
It’s costly to heat your home or office all winter long but it’s also vital to remaining comfortable. Heating bills in winter are on average three times higher than summer bills which is why modern replacement thermostats and energy meters are very popular. These offer more control over heating your home or business than older systems, however, research shows that consumers are making costly mistakes when using their thermostat. To save money during summer and winter, here are the top 3 thermostat mistakes and how to avoid them. Get saving on bills this coming winter, with advice from Conditioned Environment.
Setting your thermostat too high
Getting the perfect temperature in your home is the key to comfortable living and a quality night’s sleep. However, the ideal temperature is not widely known and this leads to many people overheating their homes. The cold weather plan for England suggests 21°C as a desirable living room temperature and 18°C as ideal bedroom temperature.
Although central heating systems don’t commonly allow separate room controls, there is a neat trick to get them just about right. Set your thermostat to 20°C, then adjust the radiator valve in your living room until you feel the temperature is comfortable. Then adjust the radiator valves in your bedrooms to be one level lower than the living room valve. If the valve in your living room is set to 3, set your bedroom valves to 2, and so on. You’ll save money when your home and thermostat are in harmony because your heater won’t be wasting energy.
Raising the temperature to heat rooms quicker
It’s a snowy day, it’s dark, you’ve come home from work and unsurprisingly the house is colder than the street outside. The first thing to do is reach for the thermostat in the hallway and crank it up to 30°C. We’ve all done it and you’d be forgiven for thinking it works.
However, it doesn’t due to the fact your thermostat doesn’t control the rate at which your rooms heat up. The temperature displayed is the final set temperature. In other words, it is a limiter for your heater. Therefore, you can save money by ditching this bad habit. Use the trick in the above tip and if it’s a particularly cold day set the thermostat to 24°C. Don’t overheat the rooms as this exacerbates problems such as chilblains and frostbite; it wastes energy and doesn’t heat your home any quicker. Find your preferred level of comfort by setting the thermostat right first time.
Turning up the heating rather than putting on a jumper
Research shows that wearing a vest beneath your top, or a jumper over it, increases your skin temperature by up to 3°C. If you seriously want to save money and enjoy the cosy feeling of a big jumper, then remember this fact first before touching your thermostat. Chances are you’ll be removing the extra layer once you’re comfortable. If that isn’t enough, the government suggests an average saving of 10% off your heating bills can be had by simply turning your thermostat down by 1°C. To put it another way, that £10 jumper you got for Christmas last year could save you up to £150 on your heating bill this winter. Go low tech next time you’re feeling a bit chilly, and layer up.
Conditioned Environment have a wealth of experience providing the highest quality heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems throughout London. Our dedicated team also install underfloor heating systems for commercial premises, so your customers never go cold on a winter’s night. To complement our range of modern heating systems, we also supply and fit emergency backup systems, fire suppression systems, HVAC and air conditioning systems. Contact our friendly team today to find out more about any of our services.
