How to use heating to avoid wasting money and save money

On average, Italians spend more than €1.000 per family per year on heating. This is a significant amount, but it can be cut by as much as 30-40 percent if only we pay attention to waste (excessive or unnecessary consumption) and how the systems used in our homes operate.

Here then are the ten golden rules, written on the basis of the indications of the top experts in the sector, starting from the Enea technicians (National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Development) for don't waste money with heating, save money, pollute less and make your home warmer and safer:

• Temperature In homes, temperatures should not exceed 20 degrees Celsius: excess heat is actually harmful to your health, and just one degree higher increases your energy bill by 7-8 percent. Similarly, you can turn off radiators in unused rooms or spaces without affecting the system. Leaving the heating on is just a waste. Finally, regarding temperature, a simple climate control system allows you to keep it at the right level, knowing that just one degree higher, on average, saves €100-150 on your energy bill per year.
• To regulate consumption, install the thermostatic valvesThese are devices that can turn the hot water circulation in the radiator on and off, maintaining the set temperature. Also remember that it's not a good idea to keep the heating on overnight.
• Radiators must be free from radiator covers and built-in cabinets. Curtains also represent barriers; if air isn't circulating freely, it becomes heavy, increasing energy consumption. A huge blow to the quality, and cost, of heating comes from the bad habit of drying clothes (socks, underwear, T-shirts, etc.) on the radiator. This cools the metal and therefore consumes more energy, increases humidity in the room, and ruins your clothes. Three wastes with a single mistake.
• Be careful with open windows for the necessary air exchange: ten minutes are enough to change the air in a room and it is better to do it, for example, in the morning when you wake up, the rest is a waste: the room is cooled down uselessly and consumption They splash. On the contrary, when it's sunny, remove curtains and blinds from your windows. The sun's rays, even in the dead of winter and even when the outside temperatures are low, bring natural, free heat into your home. Why waste it?
• The distribution of hot water must take place at a temperature not exceeding 45 degrees.
• If you have to change your heating system, always prefer heat pump systems, condensing boilers of the power adequate for the room to be heated, and replace them when necessary boilers old: you can save up to 20 percent on consumption.
• If you have initiative, try to install, where possible, solar panels (among other things, you can take advantage of good government incentives).
• Always bleed the air from the radiators To keep them at peak efficiency. If your radiators are old and don't have a vent valve, install one: it helps save money. And also remember to remove the air from the radiators before turn them on and at least once a month during the winter season because the air deposited inside them prevents the circulation of hot water, slowing down the heating and always keep the radiators free from dust.
• Don't be stingy with maintenance: cleaning of appliances, especially due to the deadly formation of limescale, should be done at least once a year; an inefficient boiler increases the gas consumption Even by 30 percent. Maintenance includes, perhaps first and foremost, as we've seen, bleeding the radiators at least once a year. It's simple and manual: air bubbles can form in the radiators, making the system less efficient and more expensive. To prevent this, simply turn the valve and let the accumulated air out. The idea is to perform an annual check-up of the system and the radiators.
• If there are too many drafts in your house, replace the single-glazed windows with double-walled glassThey prevent dispersion. Don't leave windows open too long: a few minutes are enough to freshen the air in a room.