Rising gas prices: How to save gas with a small change to your heating system
Created: 06/07/2022, 13:11
By: Andrea Stettner
If you want to save gas, you should start with the heating, because according to experts, this is where the greatest potential for savings lies.
How to prepare for winter now.
Around half of the buildings in Germany are heated with gas.
In times of skyrocketing gas prices and an imminent gas stop by Russia, it makes sense to save gas, especially
when heating
.
This is actually where the greatest savings potential lies, as Immanuel Stieß, head of the research focus Energy and Climate Protection in Everyday Life at the Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE), knows:
"68 percent of the energy consumption in private households is used for heating buildings
," says the expert in the Conversation with ZDFtoday.
But how can tenants and homeowners save on gas without having to freeze in winter?
In fact, even small changes can reduce energy consumption for heating.
If you turn down the thermostat on your heating system, you can reduce your gas consumption – and save money as a result.
© Imago/Political Moments
Save gas when heating: set the room temperature correctly
Above all, the right room temperature offers the greatest potential for savings.
According to the consumer center you save
about 6 percent of energy with every degree less
.
But don't overdo it: mold can quickly form in unheated rooms - no room should be colder than 16 degrees.
A room temperature of 18° is
recommended
for bedrooms and 21° Celsius in the living room.
With standard thermostats, the temperature is regulated via
levels (1-5)
.
The levels usually correspond to the following room temperatures:
Level 2:
around 16° Celsius
Level 3:
around 20° Celsius
Level 4:
around 24° Celsius
Level 5:
around 28° Celsius
Many residents set the
heating to level 5
right away, assuming that it would then warm up faster - but that's not true.
In fact, you are just wasting energy by overheating the room.
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Programmable thermostats offer new potential for saving gas
The setting via steps is too imprecise for you?
There are now also programmable thermostats that can be set to the exact desired temperature in the living room via a display or an app.
Even different heating phases for day/night or different days of the week can be set in advance.
In principle, programmable thermostats can be attached to all radiators, and adapters are already included with the purchase.
Anyone who programs their thermostats in such a way that they lower the room temperature during the day and raise it again towards the end of the day can certainly
save additional gas
.
However, this also depends on previous heating behavior.
Can tenants also replace the thermostat?
Tenants can also
exchange the existing thermostat for a new one
.
All you need is water pump pliers or a screwdriver.
A specialist should only do this if the valve also needs to be replaced.
Keep the old thermostats safe, because when you move out you have to restore the original condition of the apartment and thus also the radiators.
By the way, you can also save a lot of gas when showering.
And the energy consumption of the refrigerator can also be reduced immediately with simple tricks.
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