A recent government survey suggests that we are heating our homes to a far greater temperature than we have in the past. It suggested that the average home was up to four degrees centigrade hotter than it was in the early seventies. This is something that EPC Bromley has also noticed during domestic energy surveys in Bromley.
The total energy we as a nation consume is falling, but the energy that is being consumed in people’s homes is up by over 30%. The fact that there are approximately eight million more homes than there were in 1970 does play a part, but our heating habits also have to shoulder a large part of the blame.
An issue with these figures is using averages means that people at the extreme end of energy usage are ignored, despite being the main part of the problem. My father-in-law, for example, sets his home thermostat on 27°C and has the timer set on 24/7. When we visit we spend the time turning the thermostat down, opening windows and switching off radiators.
It’s people at this end of the spectrum who make us forget about people at the other, those in fuel poverty who struggle to heat their homes at all.
It may be true that on the coldest days of the year, a tweak upwards of a few degrees on the thermostat will actually make a difference. But it’s forgetting to turn the thermostat back down again after the temperature rises to something we can bear, that’s where the problem lies. It is imperative that our homes have the right set up when it comes to heating controls.
Recommendations
In a traditionally heated home with a gas boiler, EPC Bromley recommends that you have the following in place in order to have effective control of your heating. If you have all of these in place you will achieve the highest score on your energy performance certificate.
- A room thermostat
- A timer (for heating and hot water)
- Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs)
Technology
There are also a range of technological breakthroughs for the tech savvy. These include smartphone apps with which you can accurately set timings and temperatures for your heating system. Some even make use of GPS to ensure that the heating switches on and off as you leave and return to the house.
Some of these apps are actually being introduced by the energy companies themselves.
Our obsession with modern technology may in fact end up being the solution to our energy usage at home, but it’s worth remembering that these apps are far more effective for owners of large detached houses, than they are for people in smaller properties and flats.
In the case of the latter, something as simple as effective draught proofing may prove cheaper and more efficient in the opinion of EPC Bromley.