Efficient Heating: 6 Practical Tips and Top Savings Opportunities

Richtig heizen

Header-Image: AI-created (ChatGPT)

Why is heating properly so important? It goes far beyond just achieving a comfortable room temperature. It also involves energy efficiency, cost savings, and not least the preservation of the building structure. This article provides practical tips and shows how modern technologies can help optimize heating.

The 6 most important tips for efficient heating

1. Choose the right room temperature

Proper heating starts with reaching the optimal room temperature. This depends on individual comfort and the room’s purpose. Recommendations include:

  • Living room: 20–22 °C
  • Bedroom: 16–18 °C
  • Bathroom: 22–24 °C
  • Office: 20 °C
  • Children’s room: 20–22 °C
  • Kitchen: 18 °C
  • Basement: 10–15 °C

2. Heat to at least 16 °C

It is important that living spaces do not fall below 16 to 18 °C. Otherwise, the risk of mold increases. This applies even to rarely used rooms and during absences, whether a few hours during the day or several days or weeks.
Turning off the heating completely during the day, at night, or when leaving the house may seem financially attractive, but can cause damage to the building structure. If the building is in poor condition, even higher temperatures than 16–18 °C may be necessary to minimize mold risks.

3. Set room temperatures correctly

Contrary to popular belief, heating radiators do not warm up faster by setting a higher thermostat level. The numbers 1 to 5 on the thermostat indicate the desired room temperature. The approximate values are:

Level Temperature
1 12 °C
2 16 °C
3 20 °C
4 24 °C
5 28 °C

 

Often symbols are used: a snowflake usually means about 6 °C for frost protection, preventing pipe freezing; a moon often indicates 14 °C and is used for nighttime setback.

4. Ventilate regularly

Heating and ventilation must be considered together. Regular ventilation not only brings fresh air but also manages humidity. Instead of tilted windows, short bursts of cross ventilation (opening one or more opposite windows wide) save energy and reduce mold risk. 

Especially after showering, cooking, and sleeping, ventilation is important. Generally, if humidity exceeds 50% for a longer time, it’s time to ventilate. In the cold season, a few minutes several times a day is usually enough. The heating can be turned off during ventilation but make sure to close windows and heat rooms again afterward to prevent heat loss and cold walls.

Tip: Use a thermo-hygrometer to monitor humidity and temperature.

5. Handle temperature differences carefully

Warm air holds more moisture than cold air. Therefore, bathroom temperatures should not be set too low. Also, keep doors between rooms with different temperatures closed during cold months. Warm, moist air entering cooler rooms can cause mold quickly.

6. Use radiators efficiently

To optimize heat distribution, avoid blocking radiators with furniture or curtains. If unavoidable, leave some space between furniture and radiator. Radiator covers can reduce heat radiation and airflow and should be avoided for efficient heating.

Costs and saving potentials

Reducing heating costs
Besides proper heating behavior and maintaining optimal room temperature, the following help keep heating costs low:

  • Insulation: The building’s condition is crucial. Good insulation prevents heat loss.
  • Smart-Home-Technology: Intelligent thermostats optimize energy use.

Choosing the right heating system: innovative alternatives

Besides common systems like gas or oil heating, there are now notable innovative alternatives for optimized energy efficiency. Heat pumps are widely discussed currently. But systems that use waste heat differently are also gaining traction. For example, 21energy’s heaters use the waste heat from Bitcoin miners to heat rooms while simultaneously mining cryptocurrency. They embody efficiency with an additional benefit and surpass other systems in several ways:

  •  They minimize energy loss.
  • As a future-oriented alternative for households seeking modern energy efficiency, they represent a promising option.

oven pro next to sofa livingroom

Image: 21energy

Investing in the Future

While the initial costs of modern heating systems can be higher, they often pay off in the long run through energy savings. Options like the 21energy heaters not only provide ideal heating but also offer the additional financial benefit of earning Bitcoin simultaneously.

Conclusion: Combining Comfort and Efficiency

Proper heating is achieved through efficient habits and choosing the right heating system. With the right information and by applying simple tips, efficient heating quickly becomes second nature. Technologies like the Bitcoin heaters from 21energy also demonstrate that heating can be not only energy-efficient but also innovative.

Maximilian Obwexer profile picture

Maximilian Obwexer

Maximilian Obwexer ist Co-Founder & CEO von 21energy. Seine Expertise präsentiert er einerseits hier im Blog & andererseits auch als Speaker auf diversen Konferenzen. Hauptthema hierbei ist vor allem das Bitcoin Mining & dessen Abwärmenutzung.

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