Spending less on heating is possible if you know how.
In this article Jotul recommends key aspects to reduce the heating bill in winter and spend less.
1. The ideal temperature in winter is 21ºc.
According to the IDAE (Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving) and the RITE (Regulation of Thermal Installations in Buildings), a temperature of 21ºC is sufficient to maintain the comfort of a home in winter. Turning up the heating thermostat does not improve the comfort of your home, but it can increase your electricity bill. Reduce the thermostat setting to 15°C, if you are away for a few hours, and you will reduce your heating bill.
2. Turn off the heating while you sleep
Turn off the heat at night and wait to ventilate the house in the morning before turning it on. To renew the air in a room, it is enough to open the windows for about 10 minutes: no more time is needed to ventilate.
3. Insulate your home at night
To avoid unnecessary heat loss and avoid visual pollution, lower the blinds and draw the curtains at night while you sleep.
4. Use a wood stove to supplement your heating.
A wood stove is the ideal complement to the heating of your home, it will allow the thermostat of your heating not to be triggered, and therefore reduce the heating bill by a lower expenditure of fuel (oil, gas or electricity).
Wood stove heating is the most economical and sustainable form of energy, it is a renewable and self-sufficient energy source. In fact, it is one of the few energies that can be obtained free of charge by taking advantage of waste from the countryside or forestry and using wood quotas that are offered free of charge to residents in many municipalities in Spain.
5. Don’t lose heat: insulate your home to reduce your heating bill.
Good insulation, especially in windows, will mean great savings in your home and will improve the energy efficiency of your home. Insulation in your home, whether in windows or siding, is an important investment, but very profitable in the long run.
6. If you use a wood-burning stove, make sure that it has sealed combustion.
Jotul stoves and fireplaces with “sealed combustion” can be equipped with an external air intake that is used for combustion. This socket can be channeled with flexible tubing through the floor or wall. Using the air intake from the outside minimizes the need for air renewal in the house, thus improving the energy efficiency of the house, making them the solution for low energy consumption houses and passive houses or Passiv House.
7. Distribute warm air from your fireplace to other rooms.
Take advantage of the heat generated by your Jotul wood-burning fireplace and distribute it to adjacent rooms or on upper floors, so that the heat is distributed and the thermostat of your heating system does not go off in any room. Hot air distribution by convection does not require engines or turbines, it is more natural.
