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Leaving Your Heating On Low Constantly Might Not Actually Save Energy

Leaving Your Heating On Low Constantly Might Not Actually Save Energy

Just put on a jumper and stop whinging, will you?

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

Much like the conditions in Game of Thrones, winter is here. Yep, it's bloody cold at the minute - although admittedly not as bad as it was in the USA recently - and everyone is trying to find ways to keep their toes warm.

Now, most of us are fortunate enough to have central heating in our homes. Brilliant thought it is, when it's this cold it feels as if you'd have to have it on all the time, and that can get pretty damn costly.

So, how do you strike the balance between being toasty warm and not being utterly skint as a result of energy bills? One widely accepted school of thought suggest that you should have the heating on all the time, but only a bit.

Sure, that will keep your pipes from freezing, but is it actually the best way to go about heating your house?

PA

By the looks of it, no. Experts such as the Energy Saving Trust, as well as British Gas, say that it is a popular misconception that leaving the heating on all day at a low level is actually more efficient.

Apparently, using a timer to have the central heating come on when you need it is the best way to conserve energy and - by extension - money. It's actually all down to insulation.

You see, your house leaks heat all day, so the less you leak, the less energy you need to use to heat your house. According to the Energy Saving Trust, if you keep the heating on all day, you're losing energy all day. Literally burning money.

They say you're better off just having the heating come on at certain times of the day.

However, not everyone agrees. Some heating specialists reckon that keeping the heating on low all day with the radiators turned up high is the best thing to do. This is because - apparently - condensation forms in the walls when the boiler goes on and off.

This in turn helps conduct heat out of your house, meaning that energy leaks quicker. That means you're using more energy.

PA

Whilst there is no consensus on this, there is one thing that everyone can agree on. Bizarrely, one accepted way to save energy is to cover your windows in cling film.

It works because it creates a minute pocket of air between the window and the film which helps slow down the escape of heat from your house.

Think of it as an extra form of glazing for your windows. Glazing that is really cheap and that - at a pinch - you could tear off and wrap up a sandwich.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Weather, uk news, News, Money