The Manufacturers' Association of Radiators & Convectors (MARC) has welcomed advice from Public Health England advising homeowners to vary the temperatures at which they heat different rooms.
The Manufacturers' Association of Radiators & Convectors (MARC) has welcomed advice from Public Health England advising homeowners to vary the temperatures at which they heat different rooms.
The organisation is advising that people can reduce their energy bills by setting living room temperatures at 21c, while leaving other areas at 18c.
MARC chairman John Colling said: "Varying the levels to which we heat each home in the house is a process we call 'zoning', and it is something which manufacturers have often recommended. Each person will have their own preferred temperatures, whether they agree with Public Health England, but the advice is welcome because it helps people to get the most efficiency out of their heating systems.
"Zoning can be effective based upon the time of day, the day of the week or, as in this advice, the time of year. Homeowners do not use every room all of the time, so why heat space when it is out of use? There may be rooms in the house, such as conservatories, which are only used during the summer, or spare bedrooms used only when guests come to visit. Additionally, rooms such as bedrooms are generally only used in evenings, so if you are at home during the day and have the heating on, it is wasting energy and money to be warming the bedroom when you may only need to use the living room.
"One way to alleviate some of the pressure of energy bills is to think smarter about heating our homes. We would advise good insulation measures to stop heat leaving the home in the first place, but there are other ways to make a difference and zoning is an excellent start.
"The key to this is effective controls on the system, and these do not have to cost a lot of money. Local installers are generally the best people to talk to, because they can advise on what is best for your home."
