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You will find the following tips in our article:
- Tip 1: Save gas with a functional heating system
- Tip 2: Adjust heating settings & reduce heating bill
- Tip 3: Leave the radiators free
- Tip 4: Heat individual rooms differently
- Tip 5: Save gas by heating according to demand
- Tip 6: Ventilate properly & check air quality/room temperature
- Tip 7: Use (electronic) thermostats correctly
- Tip 8: Save gas with underfloor heating
- Tip 9: Pay attention to the thermal insulation of heating pipes & radiator niches
- Tip 10: Check the insulation of windows, doors & roller shutter boxes
Tip 1: Save gas with a functional heating system
A functioning heating system is of course a prerequisite for saving gas and heating costs. Therefore, maintain, bleed and clean your heating system regularly. If your heating system heats up irregularly and you hear gurgling noises, there is probably air in the heating system. If so, it's time to bleed it. You can easily do this yourself with a bleeder wrench. To ensure that the water pressure is correct, check it both before and after bleeding and top up with water if necessary.
Check & refill water pressure
The rule of thumb for the water pressure of heating systems is: for a heating system to be able to cope with a height difference of ten meters, it needs a water pressure of at least 1 bar. For a single-family house or apartment, the pressure should be between 1.5 and 1.8 bar. First check the pressure gauge of your heating system before refilling heating water. Often there is a mark as an orientation, which shows the ideal range.
After checking the water pressure, you need to turn off the circulation pump and set the thermostatic valves of your heating bodies to the highest level. Then connect the heating system to the water tap - either via a fixed connection to the fresh water system or with a garden hose. Now you can open the filler neck on the heating system and top up with sufficient water.
Tip 2: Adjust heating settings & reduce heating bill
If you have your own heating system, you should adapt it to the respective building and your own rhythm - this saves between 10 and 15 percent energy. Program your personal heating profile with a tailored time control and determine heating phases as well as setback times.
Turn off your heating completely in the summer or set it to hot water only mode.
Tip 3: Leave the radiators free
If the radiator is blocked, by furniture, curtains or textiles drying on the heater, the heat accumulates behind this obstacle. The warm air cannot spread evenly in the room or circulate unhindered. Therefore, it takes longer to heat the room. The rule is: leave the radiators free and keep at least a 30-cm distance with furniture & co. Also refrain from using radiator coverings or floor-length curtains if they cover the heating.
Pro tip: Clean your heater regularly - also between the inner lamellas. Dust and lint can settle here, preventing optimal heat dissipation.
Tip 4: Heat individual rooms differently
Depending on the use of the room you need different temperatures. After all, it may be warmer in the living room when watching TV than in the bedroom under the comforter. Therefore, adjust the setting of your heating to the room use and refrain from heating hallways or unused rooms. This will lower your energy demand and help save on heating costs. Also, close the doors of heated rooms to prevent heat from escaping.
Our temperature recommendations per room:
- Bedroom 16 - 18 degrees
- Kitchen 18 - 20 degrees
- Living room 20 - 22 degrees
- Bath - 22 degrees
Attention: Rooms that are unheated for a longer period of time pose a risk of mold. Therefore, you should heat and ventilate these rooms more strongly for a few hours every now and then in winter. Check the absolute and relative air humidity with an air meter, for example the air-Q. This way you can tell when it's time to change the air, save heating costs through demand-controlled ventilation and prevent mold growth.
Tip 5: Save gas by heating according to demand
Also, heat only when it is necessary. Because when you're not in your apartment or house, the rooms don't have to be heated up either. If you lower the temperature, you also lower your heating costs and thus your heating bill.
The widespread myth of "leaving the heating on at night to save energy" is not true. The general rule is: if you heat less, you can save energy and have lower costs. So always turn off the heating when you are asleep, at work or away from your home for longer periods of time.
With a programmable thermostat you can set the exact temperature and even a time control. For example, the thermostat controls your heating to run in economy mode overnight or when you are at work, or even prefer to turn it off! Use the timer to set the heating to come on at 6am, for example, when you want to get up at 7am and enjoy warm rooms. Likewise, you can deactivate the heating in a time-controlled manner, e.g. an hour or half an hour before you leave, because the heating still radiates heat for a long time, even when it is off.
Tip 6: Ventilate properly & check air quality/room temperature
Unfortunately, this point is often underestimated. A tilted window provides less fresh air than you think and results in extremely high heat loss. Instead, rely on regular, but short bursts of ventilation. With an air meter that measures carbon dioxide (CO₂), you can accurately track when the air is stale and it's time to ventilate, and also when you can close the window to avoid losing unnecessary heat. Some devices measure not only air quality, but also temperature, so you can also check if it's getting too warm.
This winter, with the gas crisis, it pays to keep a close eye on everything and keep track. Because heating has never been so expensive.
Tip 7: Use (electronic) thermostats correctly
Use an electronic thermostat - this saves about 10 percent energy over a regular thermostat. Set your electronic thermostat to the desired room temperature. Use our temperature recommendations as a guide. For every degree you set it lower, you'll reduce your consumption by another 6 percent or so. This noticeably reduces your energy requirements.
Electronic thermostats do not indicate levels, but the temperature. This allows you to precisely adjust your temperature setting. Normal thermostats, on the other hand, display steps. Our graphic shows what these steps mean and how you can find the right temperature.
The distance between each step is about 4 degrees and the small lines between the steps are therefore 1 degree each.
Tip 8: Save gas with underfloor heating
With your underfloor heating, to plan the heating times, you need to consider the long lead time. However, if the floors are warm, then you also keep this energy for a long time. Therefore, timers and heating profiles are ideal here as well. Increase the temperature when you are not yet there or still asleep. Some underfloor heating systems take several hours to reach the desired temperature. However, you can turn them off at least an hour before you leave the house, because your underfloor heating will continue to give off heat for a long time.
Tip 9: Pay attention to the thermal insulation of heating pipes & radiator niches
Make sure your heating pipes are well insulated. Just a few meters of uninsulated pipe running through a cold basement, for example, can lead to enormous heat loss. With insulation, you noticeably reduce your heating bill. Because if you insulate your pipes, you save up to 20 euros a year in heating costs per meter of pipe.
In old buildings, there are also often radiator niches in exterior walls that are not yet well insulated. Low wall thicknesses and hot radiators multiply heat loss - per year, you lose about 15 euros of heating per square meter. The only thing that can help here is good insulation, such as polyurethane panels or aerogel mats. Ideally, the insulation should have an aluminum lamination that reflects the heat radiation to the room side. Make sure that the insulation materials are airtight with the wall on all sides, otherwise there is an increased risk of mold.
Tip 10: Check the insulation of windows, doors & roller shutter boxes
Leaky doors, windows and shutter boxes also promote an uncomfortable draft, which causes heat to be lost. Check whether your windows & co. are well sealed by either placing a candle in front of them or wedging in a piece of paper. If the flame flickers or you can easily pull out the paper even with the door or window closed, it is leaking and the thermal insulation is zero. Then it helps to readjust the window sashes or replace the seal. You stop drafts on doors with a so-called cold enemy.
Insulating your roller shutter box is also worthwhile. Because every insulated square meter saves up to 15 euros per year. You can use either an individual molding, a flexible insulation board or high-performance insulation boards made of polyurethane as well as phenolic resin, which have a lower thermal conductivity.
We wish you successful energy savings this fall and winter and a lower utility bill next year.
(Contributed image: Evgen_Prozhyrko from Getty Images/ canva.com)
