Experts Warn Homeowners to Avoid These Common Heating Mistakes

Homeowners are being told to think twice before following certain heating hacks they see online.

The bathroom experts at Vidalux.co.uk have debunked common heating hacks that claim to be more efficient than turning on the heating but aren’t. 

They have shared that while things like space heaters are good for heating up small rooms for short periods of time, they can actually be far more expensive to run than the central heating.

Doing things like closing all of the doors around the home to trap heat, turning the thermostat really high and turning the heating off altogether when you’re not home all cause the heating to work harder and less efficiently. 

To get the most out of the heating, the experts advise setting the thermostat to an optimum temperature and leaving it on during the day so that it can keep the home comfortable.

Turning it off completely makes the house colder which means the heating has to work even harder to get it warm again.

Andy Ellis from Vidalux.co.uk said: ”Central heating isn’t exactly cheap to run – especially not at the moment – so it’s no wonder people are always on the lookout for hacks to help heat their homes for less.

“Unfortunately there’s a lot of tips and tricks circulating that simply aren’t true and won’t save you any money in the long run. 

“One of the most common myths is that a space heater is more efficient than running your heating. They can be great for heating up small rooms like home offices but relying on them for larger areas and longer periods of time will just end up costing you more.

“We’re hoping by sharing the hacks to avoid, we can help people make the most out of their heating this winter.”

Heating hacks to avoid:

Using a space heater

A common myth when it comes to heating is that a space heater is cheaper to run than central heating. This statement is only true if you’re using the space heater for short periods of time to heat up one small room. When used to heat large areas, space heaters become more expensive to run and you’re better off turning your heating on.

Closing doors to keep one room warm

Closing the doors around the home to keep one room warm will trap a little more heat in there, but overall it will reduce the efficiency of your heating. Central heating works to heat the home evenly and closing one door means that the warm air can’t flow through the house properly, leaving some rooms colder. As a result, the heating has to work harder to heat up any rooms that are staying at a lower temperature.

Using your oven to heat up the home

Some videos on social media show people using their ovens and hobs to heat up their home but it’s not surprising that this can be dangerous as they are simply not designed for this. You can however leave your oven door open after use so that the warm air fills your kitchen, but it should never be the first option for heating up the home. 

Turning the heating off when you’re not at home

Although it may not sound efficient to have your heating on if you’re not home, turning it off will just make your house colder. This means when you do eventually put your heating on, it has to work even harder to heat up a cold home. 

Cranking up the thermostat for short periods of time

Some think that turning their thermostat high for short bursts is an efficient way to heat the home. They are under the impression that it causes their home to heat up quicker so they can turn the heating off sooner but this isn’t how central heating works. Using this technique will just leave your heating running until it hits the temperature you’ve set it on. Instead, set the thermostat at an optimum temperature so that when it drops below that number the heating comes on.

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