One of the biggest energy-efficiency legends that you might hear bandied about by friends and self-declared heating experts at home is that leaving the heating on ALL DAY could save you money.

This well-known urban legend quickly makes an appearance in any conversation about heating your home, but have you ever asked yourself, how much truth is there in this statement?

Here at Just Radiators, we know energy, so we asked our experts if it’s a myth, or if there’s any truth at all to the rumours and legend. We posed them the question, ‘Can I save money leaving the heating on all day?’

Here are their expert answers.

Is It A Myth, Or Is There Truth To It?


The concept behind keeping the heating on all day to save money is that turning the heating on and off constantly will require more energy than simply keeping it running. According to this school of thought, you’ll use less energy keeping your home heated at a constant temperature than the energy you would need to heat things up to that temperature again every time you turn the switch off.

Without giving the concept too much thought, it sounds like it could indeed be a sound way of heating the home. Keep the heating at a constant temperature all through the day, and your energy bills might come in much lower than they otherwise would.

The fact is though, it’s just a myth. Instead, it’s all about insulation. Because insulation is actually where you’re going to save money. That and a little bit of good timing!

Insulating Saves Money, Not Heating


The simple fact of the matter is that keeping your heating on all day will mean that you’re constantly burning energy, and therefore you’re constantly burning cash.

The boiler or your heating system will need to keep working extra hard to maintain its constant temperature because the longer you leave the heating on, the more heat there is that will inevitably escape from your home.

As the heat escapes, you need to use more energy to keep the constant temperature, so rather than saving money, you’re wasting money.

Most heat escapes because of poor insulation, and unfortunately, there’s no way (at least yet!) to create a perfectly insulated house, one where you will never lose any heat once it’s been generated. That means that no matter how well you have insulated your home, you will always lose some heat, and therefore have to replace it to keep things constant.

With that in mind, keeping the heating on all day is by no means a cost-efficient way of heating your house.

What you can do, however, is keep your home insulated, to stop as much heat escaping as you can, but only turn your heating on when you actually need it. This is why all heating systems come with timers or thermostats that allow you to do this.

In fact, the heating experts have always known that setting your timing just right will save you a lot more energy, and a lot more money than keeping the heating on all day.

 

Energy Efficiency In The Home


So, it’s insulation and timing that are key to having a perfectly heated, energy-efficient home, not leaving the heating switched on while you’re out running errands.

The most important thing to do is to ensure that you have a working thermostat or a similar system that allows your heating to turn on automatically, at a set time.

By setting it up to only turn on when it’s needed, you stand to save energy and money. Ordinarily, this will be in the evening, giving the heating a chance to warm up the home before the coldest part of the night hits, for instance. If you know you’re going to be out for hours on end, then you can even change it to turn on later than usual. Flexibility is paramount.

In turns of insulation, it’s important to have double glazing, to have heavy, insulated door frames, and other insulating methods. Even simple things such as closing the window when the heating is on will keep your home better insulated, and much more energy-efficient.

This must seem like a pricey move in the short term, but in the long run, an investment in quality heating and insulation technology and infrastructure is the only way to save quality quantities of money on your heating bills.

 

So, Can You Save Money By Leaving The Heating On All Day?


The quick answer is no. The idea that you can save money by leaving the heating on all day, is quite simply a myth, and a fairly big myth at that.

Rather than leaving your heating switched on, you’re much better off investing in energy-efficient insulation, better radiators and heating systems. One way to save energy is to purchase aluminium radiators, for instance, which are much more energy-efficient than traditional radiators (and much more stylish too!).

Lux Heat Lincoln Aluminium Vertical Radiator in a matt black finish.

 

How Can I Actually Save Money On Heating?


In conclusion, it’s good insulation that proves to be the biggest money saver in houses, and that means investing in quality radiators, heating controls and boilers, to say the least. Make your home as energy efficient as you possibly can, and you’ll quickly start to realise that your energy bills are becoming lower and lower.

Combine this with a flexible timing system (and actually use your thermostat) and you’re bound to save much more money than the lazy approach of leaving the heating blazing while you’re down the supermarket.

Contact Us Today To Find Out More!


Here at Just Radiators, we know that energy efficiency isn’t just about how long you leave your radiator on through the day though. There’s more to it than this, and our experts have plenty of advice ready and waiting to help you save money on your energy bills.

We also have plenty of great products, and we can help you pick the best radiator upgrades or energy-efficient heating systems to complement your home and lifestyle.

Give us a call today, to find out more!