Best Ways to Heat Your Apartment

Newly constructed houses are generally energy-efficient with great insulation. And with regulations on electricity consumption and electricity generation, heating costs have been on an upward swing. Nowadays, heating costs can be around 400 to 500 pounds per year. Regardless of the costs and the better home insulations, still, nobody can do without heating. So which solution should they choose?

There are many questions you need to ask yourself before you come to a proper decision. First and foremost, it is a question of budget. First-time homeowners, who often have limited means, opt for electricity, a condensing boiler or an air/water heat pump. Buyers with a more comfortable budget can opt for innovative, cutting-edge technology such as a fuel cell or an ultra-high performance boiler. Furthermore, the environmental impact and the energy consumption (and electricity bill) are all important considerations.

From the simplest to the most sophisticated, we’ll go over some of the most common, efficient ways to heat your apartment/house in this article. Read on and find out.

Wood Heating: the Pellet Stove

One in four new houses uses wood for heating. The pellet stove is the simplest and, above all, the cheapest heating solution that uses wood. It provides a lot of heating and the price of wood varies little, unlike gas or electricity, which makes it more reliable financially. The only drawback is that the installation of a stove is only possible under certain conditions. it must be airtight. The stove can be used as the main heating system up to 100 metres square. Beyond this threshold, each additional area must be heated by other heaters.

Aerothermal: Air/Water Heat Pump

The air-water heat pump is now one of the preferred solutions for buyers. Its principle is simple: it captures the heat contained in the outside air and transfers it to the central heating network. It consists of an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser and an expansion valve that operate in a closed circuit. The refrigerant in this circuit is converted from liquid to gas in the evaporator, thus recovering heat from the air. The compressor increases the pressure of the fluid, which also increases its temperature.

It is possible to both cool down the house during the summer and heats the home during the winter thanks to air-water heat pumps. The only potential drawback is that the cost of purchasing and installing it is around 10-12K, which is a considerable sum. You should do more research before taking the plunge.

Electric Heating: Inertia Radiators

Electric inertia heaters are a cost-effective solution that provides a high level of comfort. However, sadly, using electricity for heating is generally penalized in most jurisdictions, which explains their small market share. So to take advantage of this heating method, you have to make sure the regulations and energy/electricity costs are suitable. The house will have to be even more insulated and airtight than a house that uses another energy source due to how expensive it is to use electricity for heating.

The initial investment to get electric heaters up and running is one of the lowest as it costs between 150 and 1,200 pounds per radiator depending on the model. You can also opt for low-temperature electric underfloor heating. A heating cable is placed under the floor covering and diffuses gentle heat keeping the room warm.

Radiators aren’t the only electrical heating method you should look into. Electric water central heating is also a very effective heating method that allows you to heat up large homes effectively and efficiently.

How can you maintain heat in your house?

Heating represents more than 70% of your house’s energy consumption. It makes perfect sense that if you want to consume less energy, you need to cut it down without losing warmth. Not all solutions for keeping your house warm are expensive and complex. There are many ways to keep your home warm and you should try them all to cut down your energy consumption.

Have timers on the central heating system

Professionals recommend programming your heating system to turn on heating just before you get up in the morning—30 minutes before you wake up is enough. A lower temperature is more affordable than turning it on when you need it at a higher temperature. It’s because the system heats up at a constant speed, regardless of the temperature you set on the thermostat. Never leave the heating system run when you’re gone all day—you will pay for heat when you don’t use it.

Use the right curtains

Make the most of the natural heat from the sun and open your curtains. Let the sunlight get inside the house during the day and shut the curtains when it gets dark. Curtains can also work as a layer of insulation and trap warm air inside a room. Make sure that you have no leaks or gaps so that the cold air doesn’t get inside and the warm air doesn’t escape from the room. You will also reduce condensation.

Maximize insulation

25% of the heat is lost through the roof, so you should make sure to add insulation throughout the loft. Around a third of the heat in an insulated home will escape through the walls, so make sure that you also add wall insulation. Installing loft insulation doesn’t come cheap, but it can save you hundreds of dollars in your heating bill.

Move the furniture around

Ideally, you would place your comfy sofa in front of the radiator, but the couch will absorb heat to warm the room. You need to move it away from the radiator so that the hot air circulates efficiently throughout the room. It’s the same for curtains or drying clothes. Don’t place them in front of the radiator. Put them away from it so that they benefit from the heating system.

Turn down the heat

At a glance, it makes no sense whatsoever to turn down the heat. However, healthcare professionals recommend a minimum temperature of 70F degrees in the living room, but you can go as low as 64F degrees. Research revealed that turning the thermostat down by just 33F degrees will reduce the heating by 10%. When you keep the dial at 64F degrees, your health is safe, and you save money on the heating bill.

Wrap up warm

When you use a hot water tank, you should make sure that it’s efficiently insulated. You want the water in the tank to remain hot for the longest time and decrease your heating costs. If you protect your water tank, you can save almost $200 a year.

Install thermostatic radiator valves

It seems that simply installing thermostatic radiator valves and heating controls leads to savings of 40% compared to a household with no controls. Such features let you schedule the heating to turn on at predefined times—you will only use energy when needed. Smart thermostats allow remote control via mobile phone; you can turn on the heating when you get home from work so that the house is cozy and warm when you arrive.

Block out the draughts

Sausage draught excluders look cute and you shouldn’t underestimate their efficiency in keeping warmth inside your house. You don’t need to spend a lot and you can make your little tools to draught-proof your doors, cracks in the floors, and windows—it can save you $50 per year. Self-adhesive rubber seals around windows, doors and door draught excluders are affordable and effortless to set up. Make sure you trap all warmth that you can inside and seal the windows and doors before winter kicks in.

Replace the water heater/radiator

If your water heater is at the end of its lifespan, you could replace it with a new, more effective model. It depends on the current model and your house, but installing a new water heater/radiator can save you up to $500. More recent models use less energy to generate the same amount of heat.

Use rugs

When we think of rugs, we mostly think of them as decorative items. However, they can do excellent work at keeping your feet warm if we have hardwood or tile flooring. Use wool carpets to make a space feel warm.

Spin the ceiling fans

When ceiling fans spin counterclockwise, they will move air around a room. The fans will take the heated air down to earth in rooms with high-sloped ceilings.

You can do it when you slide the reversing switch on the side of the motor housing to the clockwise position. Run the fan at its slowest speed. If it’s impossible to reverse the blade rotation if you think the fan is cooling the room too much, you can leave it off.

Move the furniture away from registers, vents, and radiators

For some, it seems obvious, but some people leave the couch, bed, or chair in the winter the same way they’ve placed them in the summer, which stops the heat from flowing into a room. It’s a straightforward explanation of why the room feels cold all the time and why your energy bills are so high. If you have a forced-air system, blocking a return or supply vent will generate a house-wide pressure imbalance that affects the heat flow in the whole system.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most affordable radiators?

Aluminum radiators make the most affordable options within the radiator category. You spend less time with the radiator running, which reduces the costs every month. Aluminum radiators save around 5-10% per year compared to regular heating.

Are heating pumps expensive?

According to the water tank’s capacity, heating pumps have prices ranging from $2,100 to $3,300. You will pay around $700 for a natural gas water heater for a standard unit and up to $4,500 for condensing modes. Don’t forget to count on the installation costs, which ensure efficient performance of the water heater.

How much is it to run heating pumps?

Using a heat pump saves you money, especially when compared to other methods of heating. A heat pump’s running costs depend on its energy output and how long you use it. It seems that running a heat pump 6 hours per day for six months of the year with 6Kwtt energy output costs around $400 per year to run.

Is running a pellet stove expensive?

Expect to pay between $1,040 to $3,090 for a pellet stove and anywhere between $35 to $45 per month for running the stove. A pellet stove is typically used along with your home’s heating system. Similar to a fireplace, the pellet stove is excellent when heating a single room.

How many years will a heat pump last?

Heat pumps will last 10 to 20 years, according to usage frequency and maintenance. Heat pumps resemble air conditioners and are used for both heating and cooling. As a result, you will use them longer every year.