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Saving energy:heating at home

75% of your gas consumption at home comes from the heating. Do you want to save on gas costs? Save energy:make optimum use of heating in the house. With these tips you can save up to 1500 euros per year.

Gas the largest cost item on our energy bill

Did you know that gas is the largest cost item? Not surprising, of course, because you use the heating in the cold months of the year. Now that we are also working from home en masse, the heating is on all day long. Because we want to work comfortably. You can choose to sit with a plaid, but there are easier ways to save on the costs of gas and heating.

Reading tip :Saving energy while working from home

With the tips below you can easily save 1500 euros per year on heating costs. A nice amount that you can use for all kinds of other purposes. Among other things, to make your home more sustainable. Improvements to the insulation can also be made with this money.

Saving energy:heating in the house

As mentioned, you can live comfortably and save on your energy costs. How to find out now.

What is the best temperature for each room in the house?

Many people do not like to turn on the heating in the bedroom. Many people choose to turn on the heating in the room(s) next door, so that the bedroom benefits from this heat unnoticed. Some people also open doors to better distribute the heat generated. Unfortunately, both options are not recommended.

In both cases the heating in the next room or the room with the door open has to work too hard, so that the desired temperature is never reached. However, a bedroom that is too cold in combination with poor insulation (eg single glass) can have major consequences. The penetrating moisture can cause spots on walls and ceiling. Mold can also form if the temperature in the bedroom is too low and it is damp and cold outside.

This is the ideal temperature in every room in the house:

Living room:20 – 22 degrees

Bathroom:20 – 23 degrees

Children's room:20 – 23 degrees

Bedroom:15 – 19 degrees

Kitchen:18 – 19 degrees

Office/study:18 – 20 degrees (depending on your work:complex workpieces require a lower temperature, creative professions a higher temperature)

Floor:15 – 19 degrees

Use heating optimally

Do not put furniture in front of the heating. As a result, the heat cannot distribute itself properly, so you have to burn more for a pleasant temperature. Also make sure that the curtains do not hang over the heating, because that also loses heat. How much you have to burn also depends on the wall behind the heating. If it is not well insulated, a lot of heat is lost. To prevent this, you can place radiator foil behind the central heating system.

Daily short airing to save on heating costs

Airing briefly several times a day is better than one long airing. Open everything up against each other a few times a day. Do this for no more than 5 minutes at a time. Don't forget to turn off the radiator during airing, otherwise it will turn on and it will cost more money. Do you see moisture on your windows or mirrors? Then there is too much humidity and you have to ventilate immediately. This also prevents mold formation.

Venting the heating for more heat

Do you notice that the room no longer heats up properly? Do you have to keep turning the temperature up to make it a little more comfortable in the house? Then it may be time to vent the heating. If there is too much air in the radiator, it can no longer heat properly. So bad for your wallet! Venting is not difficult and you can easily do it yourself. See the instructions in the video below

Save energy by turning down heating 1 degree

If you lower your heating just 1 degree, you can save a lot of energy per year. That can easily add up to a saving of 100 euros or more. Highly recommended, especially if you set the heating to 21°C instead of 22°C.

Curtains to save on heating costs

It sounds contradictory, because you read a bit above that curtains can prevent a good temperature distribution. However, it is advisable to hang heavy curtains. Curtains keep the cold out, especially along uninsulated walls. Make sure that the curtains do not fall over the central heating system, but hang well above it.

What is the best heating temperature at night?

Many people think they save energy and money by turning the heating down at night. The heating is then safely set to 15 or 16°C. Unfortunately, this backfires and ends up costing you a lot more money and energy. Do you really want to save energy? Do not set the heating below 18°C ​​at night. That way the house does not cool down too much. Getting a cold room back up to temperature costs more energy and money than keeping the temperature at a constant minimum.

Boiler maintenance and cleaning

Many people misunderstand the maintenance of the boiler. Do you want to save on energy and heating? Then it is necessary to have the boiler checked and cleaned annually. Furthermore, a central heating boiler must be replaced every 10 – 12 years. You can set aside part of the money that you save on heating costs especially for the central heating boiler.

Boiler temperature down

For many people, the central heating boiler is set at 80 degrees as standard. But did you know that a central heating boiler works much more efficiently if you set it to 60 degrees? This not only saves energy (gas), but also CO2 emissions. Incidentally, this does not affect your comfort at all. By lowering the flow temperature of your central heating boiler, you reduce the costs of using gas and costs for the central heating boiler itself. This saving can be up to €1,200 over the life of your boiler.

Insulation as a solution for less energy consumption

Admittedly, it is an expensive solution, but also sustainable at the same time. A lot of heat is lost through the frame/glass. You can assume that with good insulating glass you will have at least 40% less heating costs. Do you want to replace your glass with durable and well-insulating glass? Then make use of the ISDE scheme (subsidy for energy saving).

Incidentally, this does not only apply to glass. A facade that is not insulated can also cause a lot of heat to be lost.

Use radiator fan

Admittedly:for this saving you will first have to make a (small) investment. But did you know that a radiator fan eventually heats the room faster and you therefore have to burn less?

Save energy through underfloor heating

Underfloor heating seems very comfortable and is especially recommended with small children. However, this form of heating can also be quite expensive. This is because underfloor heating takes more time to heat a room. Do you want to install underfloor heating? In any case, make sure you use good heat-conducting material such as tiles.

Just like the normal central heating system, it is better to leave the underfloor heating at a certain temperature instead of turning it on and off.

Natural heat from outside

Heat is not only determined by the measures you take indoors. You can also take measures outside to ensure that the temperature in the house becomes more pleasant. You can do that by protecting your house from the wind. By placing tall plants such as trees and a green hedge around your house, you create a kind of air cushion. This allows you to reduce energy costs by as much as 9%.

Heating and health:good humidity

By setting the heating very high, there is a good chance that the humidity in the house will decrease. This can cause your mucous membranes to become too dry, giving bacteria and viruses (Corona) free rein. To prevent this, you must ensure that the humidity in the house is at least 50%.

Is it too dry? Then you can easily solve this by:

  • Put wet clothes on the heater
  • Hang wet laundry in the room in question
  • Place house plants, this will automatically increase the humidity
  • Using a diffuser
  • Placing a humidifier (Note:this entails extra energy consumption and the humidifier must be cleaned regularly, otherwise these germs will spread much faster)

Energy saving tips Use heating correctly

If you want to save energy, use the heating correctly:

  • Frequently venting the central heating
  • Set the thermostat to 18°C ​​at night
  • Release heating (no curtains over it or furniture in front of it)
  • Air for short periods of time
  • Maintain/clean the boiler and replace it after 10 years
  • Planting around the house
  • Optimum humidity in the house
  • Right temperature for every room

Reading tip :25 Tips to save energy

Compare energy supplier

In the end, it can also make a difference if you take a closer look at the energy supplier. Many people misunderstand this:but comparing every year can easily save hundreds of euros. This also applies if you take out a longer contract, for example of 3 or 5 years. Below you can compare energy suppliers to make the best choice.

With the above tips you can save an average of 1500 euros per year on the costs of gas!