Why You Shouldn’t Turn Off Radiators in Your Unused Rooms
Historically, heating has been somewhat of a luxury. While that changed for a long time, the steep rise in energy prices over the past few years has made it feel like an indulgence once again.
As a result, people are trying all sorts of approaches to keep their heating bills (and carbon footprint) as low as possible. A popular method is to turn off radiators in unused rooms, but is this always a straightforward good idea?
Let’s take a quick look.
Consider the Efficiency of Your Boiler
In many cases, particularly with modern, high-efficiency boilers, a certain amount of water will need to be heated no matter what. In this case, using less than a certain amount can start to negatively impact your boiler’s efficiency, no matter how counterintuitive that might sound.
If you’re unsure what kind of boiler you have, or if you think you may need an upgrade, have someone from Able Plumbers check out your model. You might be surprised by what you find out—they may even tell you to use your heating more!
The Impact on Mold and Moisture
Even if people aren’t spending a lot of time in certain rooms on your property, that doesn’t mean you can forget about those spaces. Rooms need to be kept at a certain temperature and humidity range to prevent serious moisture-related issues from cropping up later on, which generally means leaving your radiator on.
Of course, this doesn’t mean the space has to be as warm as the rest of the house. You can set a thermostat for that room to around 52 degrees Fahrenheit (11 degrees Celcius) and ensure moisture doesn’t build up by ensuring adequate ventilation.
The Importance of Insulation
If you really want to save money on your heating bills, you need to think about the insulation in your home. In short, the more heat that escapes your property, the more energy you will need to maintain a stable temperature.
If you’re not sure how effective your current insulation is, it could be worth having an energy audit. An expert will assess your property, provide an energy efficiency rating, and suggest measures to improve your home’s insulation.
Some solutions are incredibly easy, like investing in insulated curtains. Others, like adding loft insulation or getting double-glazed windows, require a bit more of a financial investment. At the end of the day, however, you’ll be able to keep your radiators at a lower setting, saving you money on your energy bills year after year.
Turning off radiators in unused rooms can be a bad idea, but turning them down is definitely a good idea. Combined with other approaches like improving your insulation, you can reduce those energy bills, helping your household budget in the long run.
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