Since heating accounts for more than 50% of households’ energy bills, it’s important to find ways to save.
Even if you’ve done everything you can to reduce your carbon footprint and energy use, you might still be using too much heat. If you don’t turn off the radiator in a room you don’t use very often, you could be throwing money away.
Here are three things to think about before turning off a radiator you don’t need.
- What kind of insulation do you have?
If you have good insulation, you don’t have to worry about leaving your radiator on in rooms you don’t use. If the rest of the house is well insulated and the one room you don’t use has no heat, you shouldn’t be losing too much heat.
Even though balance will be needed on the other side, you have many options if the only place air can escape is under the door. You might not have to worry about the heat if you add a draft blocker.
Older homes don’t always have as good of insulation as newer ones, so if you’re not sure, you might want to keep a little heat on. If you don’t, all of your heat will want to go to the colder room to make the temperature even.
- Is mildew a problem?
Radiators produce a lot of dry heat, which is one of their main features. If you’re not used to it, you might find that you’re using more moisturizer and lotion than you thought you would during the winter. Dry heat can hurt your skin just as much as cold.
But if mildew is a problem in your home or you want to stop it from being a problem, adding some dry heat might be a good idea. If you live in a wetter or rainier area, the cool air after it rains can make mildew and mold grow.
Keep your radiator’s output going to keep it from coming into your space.
- How long do you stay away?
You might think this is a good idea if you only go out for a day or two at a time, but it might be more trouble than it’s worth.
If you don’t go into a room for a whole season, it might not be worth heating it. Cover the windows with plastic and tape to keep out drafts, but don’t worry too much about the rooms in general. With a draft blocker in the doorway, you won’t need to worry about heating rooms behind doors you never open.
It can be smart to decide to turn off a radiator
Whether or not you should turn off a radiator in your home depends on a number of things. Learning why you might need the radiator will help you make a smart decision that could save you money.
Check out our guide for more information on how to balance the output of your radiator.
