LifestyleSave on heating bills with simple thermostat adjustments

Save on heating bills with simple thermostat adjustments

Turn it up, and your electricity bills will drop.
Turn it up, and your electricity bills will drop.
Images source: © Adobe Stock

27 September 2024 14:07

We'll soon be turning on the heating. It's no secret that electricity bills can strain our budget. One simple change will immediately reduce the bills. Even before the heating season, let's pay attention to the knobs on our radiators.

The radiators in our homes are equipped with thermostats. The knobs have numbers, usually from 0 to 5. It's also worth noting that the thermostatic valve reacts to room temperature changes. This valve is located on the pipe that supplies water to the radiator and regulates the flow of the liquid. The valve opens and closes depending on the temperature.

What does this mean exactly? The thermostat unlocks the moment it detects a drop in temperature and then lets hot water into the radiator to balance the temperature difference. So, what should we know about the numbers on the knob?

Do you know what they mean? It's not obvious to everyone

The lowest value on the thermostat is 0 - it's important to note that this does not mean the thermostatic valve is closed. The purpose of this mode is to prevent the water from freezing, maintaining a constant temperature of around 6-8°C. The number 1 causes the water in the radiator to be around 12-13°C. Next, number 2 means the heat will stay between 15 and 16°C. Number 3 raises the temperature in the thermostat to 18-20°C, while number 4 ranges from 22 to 24°C. The last number, 5, is a mode not recommended for everyday use, where the temperature rises to 25-28°C.

Want to avoid high bills? Be aware of this

The temperature in rooms should not be too high. Intense heating will also make us pay more for heating. It is best to set the thermostat to three; 20°C in the room is optimal for normal functioning. At night, switch the heating to two. You will see that it's much better to sleep in a slightly cooler room than in an overheated one.

It's very important to ensure proper ventilation of the apartment or house during the heating season. In the fall and winter months, it's best to ventilate the rooms briefly but often—this way, the heat won't "escape" from the inside.