Heating

Houses need to be heated

The living areas and washrooms, partly heated rooms and household water used in homes have to be heated. Many small houses also have to have the incoming air ventilation heated.
A well functioning heating system will maintain a pleasant and healthy indoor temperature regardless of the outside temperature. In addition, heating crucially affects both the energy consumption and costs of housing.

You can reduce both costs and greenhouse gas emissions by the choices and use routines concerning home heating.

Save heating energy, increase cosiness

• Monitor room temperature. Get a precise thermometer and place it in the living area, but not on an outer wall. The temperature should be 20-22°C.
• Familiarise yourself with the heating appliances’ user instructions.
• Clean and maintain heating appliances regularly, as this will improve their effectiveness.
• Every now and then check the functioning of radiators. If continually only the lower part of a radiator is warm and the upper part is cold, it is necessary to vent the radiator. A gurgling sound from the radiator also indicates the need for this.
• Don’t cover radiator thermostats, for example with furniture or curtains, as they will not identify the real room temperature or regulate the valves properly.
• Don’t let warm air escape. Air rooms quickly with a draught, and don’t leave windows ajar for the day.
• Seal windows and balcony doors. This reduces the feeling of draughts and the necessity for maintaining window and door structures.
• Utilize the heat and cosiness offered by fireplaces.

Did you know?

• Additional heaters and the later installation of underfloor heating may considerably increase energy consumption.
• In terms of energy use, cooling rooms is the most cost effective traditional means. Curtains and blinds protect from the heat of the sun and airing from the shady side lets cool air into indoor areas.
• Cutting the indoor heat load of buildings reduces the need for cooling, so turn off unnecessary heat-producing electrical devices and lights.
• If cooling using mechanical means is unavoidable, use an energy efficient device and use it only for normalizing peak heat. A heat pump can also be adapted for cooling rooms, but it increases electricity consumption.