The amounts of energy bills still worry Belgians. To save money, the temptation to dress more warmly at home is great. What minimum temperature is acceptable in our homes? Do not turn on the heating once more, does this present risks or advantages? Here are some concrete tips.
19 degrees is the recommended temperature in a home when the weather cools. This is the ideal temperature that allows you to combine comfort and energy savings.
“We consider that it is a temperature that allows a building to function properly. It all depends on whether you are moving or not, it also depends on the age of the person”explains Yves Peigneur, head of the Maison de l’énergie at the CPAS in Charleroi.
The insulation of your home can also play an important role, for example, frames with recent double glazing.
Some tips
In homes where energy performance is good, the thermostat can therefore be slightly lowered. Yves Peigneur takes as an example the house he shows our team: “Here the thermostat was set at 17 degrees, but it’s 21 degrees in the house. Now everything also depends on the outside conditions”.
This winter, some may not be able to afford to adjust their heating to reach this recommended temperature. It must be said that one degree less means 7% energy savings. Be careful, however, not to overheat, especially if the housing is not properly insulated.
“If it’s an old house with a lot of heat loss, the boiler will have to work a lot more. There might be humidity problems”points out Simon Joly, heating engineer.
Also remember to ventilate your home well morning and evening to properly evacuate accumulated humidity.
