The Sun is finally out this week, although it has been feeling more like Autmn recently! With that in mind, TSM have compiled some common myths and surrounding heating and cooling of your commercial and residential buildings, in the hopes it may even help save money on heating and energy bills.
“Keeping your heating on all day actually saves you more money”.
This is a common myth mainly because the problem is due to insulation. Heat may be leaking out through windows and doors if your house is droughty and old. Rather than leaving your heating switched on, you’re much better investing in energy-efficient insulation, better radiators, and heating systems.
“Electric heaters are more efficient”.
You will actually only end up spending more on your electricity bill. All electric heaters have a 100% efficiency-rating, because they turn all the energy, they use into heat. Portable electric heaters are even more efficient if they have thermostat controls, so you can set them to switch off once the room is the temperature you want.
“Keeping hot water on all day saves you money”.
The initial cost of turning the water in your tank from hot to cold is high, so is it cheaper to keep hot water on all day?
Again, the answer is no.
The hot water in your tank, assuming that it is properly insulated, should stay heated for at least a few hours, while having your water supply heated 24/7 is literally throwing money down the plughole!
Set a timer for around 30 minutes before you shower – this should be enough for the whole family (depending how long you shower for).
“Putting the heating up high will heat the building faster”.
Putting your heating up higher to heat your home faster will heat your home at the same speed as it being on low and will also cost you more. For a central heating system controlled by a thermostat, you may overheat so choose the temperature wisely. The heating rate is constant, so the answer is NO.
For individual rooms in a structure, additional portable heaters can be added which are usually electrically powered. Working at a desk or sitting on a sofa is a great place to add small personal-sized heaters for immediate increased comfort.
However, a personal heater can use as much power as a toaster or hair dryer and bedroom electrical circuits have limited capacity. Don’t try to use more than one at a time or the circuit breaker will trip and you will need to reset it.
The quickest way to warm up is to put on a coat or slip into a sleeping bag.
“Painting radiators black helps save a lot of money”.
Why would a radiator be painted black? Well – aside from aesthetic purposes – black absorbs heat, but painting your radiators that colour will not necessarily help to warm your home.
The reason for this is that radiators give off primarily convective heat, which warms up the air in a room. This air naturally circulates to heat up the entire room and is not affected by the colour of your radiator.
Radiators do give off some radiant heat, which heats up objects that come into direct contact with its surface (hence why people dry their clothes on a radiator during the winter). Your radiator may get slightly hotter when painted black, but not enough to make a noticeable difference.
“A fan will cool down a room”.
A fan won’t necessarily cool down a room’s temperature, it just moves the air around faster and will cost you on your electricity bill. They only create a windchill effect that makes the occupants of the room feel cooler by improving sweat evaporation and transferring heat away from the body. Fans actually add heat to a room because of their motor. Fans do not lower the temperature of the room or prevent heat-related conditions.
“Smart meters will save you money”.
Smart meters won’t necessarily save you money, they will only save you money if they are used correctly to track what you are spending and using to make adjustments. Having a smart meter can help you take action to save money. The IDH keeps you informed of how much energy you are using, so you can use it to help you save energy and reduce your energy bills. Smart meters aren’t just there to assist people keep the costs down, they are more of a selling tool to help Britain build a modern, flexible energy system.