As of: January 21, 2024, 4:57 a.m
By: Lennart Schwenck, Kilian Bäuml
Comments
Press
Split
Heating can be expensive – especially if your neighbors are saving money.
According to a study, their behavior affects their own costs.
Bremen – In order to enjoy a warm and comfortable home in the cold season, proper heating is essential.
However, this can increasingly become a financial burden.
The reasons for rising heating costs are varied and not always obvious.
Sometimes the neighbor can even be responsible for the financial gap caused by heating.
The heating habits of roommates in apartment buildings can have a significant impact on heating costs and quality of life, as a study by the EBZ Business School on behalf of the “Alliance for a Climate-Neutral Housing Stock” shows.
Neighbors influence heating costs: study shows the role of neighbors
It states that lowering the heating temperature in an apartment can lead to an imbalance in heat distribution.
In poorly insulated buildings, the surrounding households have to increase their heating temperature to compensate for the heating deficit.
However, deliberately turning down the heating is not only financially disadvantageous.
When the temperatures are low, many people like to turn up the heating - but that quickly becomes expensive.
(Symbolic image) © Hauke-Christian Dittrich/dpa
It also showed that the installation of smart thermostats also has a significant impact on consumption and thus heating costs.
This was noticeable in the properties tested as follows:
User group |
number of apartments |
Change in consumption |
|---|---|---|
equipped non-heaters |
1 |
+8.8% |
equipped low-power consumers |
2 |
+10.6% |
equipped normal consumers |
36 |
-6.7% |
equipped heavy consumers |
7 |
-16.1% |
unequipped reference group |
10 |
+15.2% |
Source:
Table 4, p. 89: “Change in energy consumption in the groups after installing the smart thermostats”
In addition to the financial impact, not heating can also pose health risks, particularly through the formation of mold.
Dangerous types of mold such as black mold (lat. Stachybotrys chartarum) and Aspergillus can appear in damp conditions caused by insufficient heating and cause irritation or respiratory diseases.
This can be particularly dangerous for people with a weakened immune system or previous illnesses such as asthma or corona (long or post-Covid syndrome).
My news
1st place surprises – This is the healthiest fruit in the world
Helmet requirement when cycling – the federal government’s decision has been made
Man loses six kilos in 30 days - and only forgoes reading one thing
EU announces strict cash measure: What consumers need to know read
Supermarket ban for German superstar?
Sign triggers discussion read out
German bakery chain insolvent: Overview shows which branches are now closed read
Heating correctly: Regular ventilation prevents mold
It is important to note that tenants who do not heat their apartments “properly” may be committing a criminal offense.
Tenancy law obliges tenants to use their apartments appropriately, which also includes heating and ventilating the rooms in order to avoid damage and health problems.
However, according to tenancy law, neighboring tenants have no direct legal means of forcing a neighboring cold apartment to be heated.
In order to save on heating costs and protect yourself from the cost trap, preventative measures such as improved insulation and so-called smart home thermostats, which automatically regulate the apartment, can be helpful.
Regular ventilation can prevent unwanted moisture from forming.
But the easiest way is often direct communication with neighbors.
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at his own discretion. All information has been carefully checked.
Find out more about our AI principles here.