Space Heating & Cooling
During the colder months, your heating is going to step up as a power guzzler in your home. Eskom asked an energy efficiency expert to calculate the energy and the costs involved in heating an average-size room to 18°C and keeping the temperature constant for one month.
The study showed that the cost of heating the room from 11°C to 18°C was significantly more than maintaining a constant temperature.
Category 1 Savings
- Dress for the weather, in colder months get cosy under a blanket and pull on a sweater instead of using space heating.
- In summer, use air conditioners economically – set them to maintain the temperature at the ‘Golden Zone’, between 18°C and 22°C.
Category 2 Savings
- Buy heaters with a short warmup time and a built-in thermostat, and only heat the rooms that will be occupied.
- Electric blankets use very little electricity. Make yours even more energy efficient by turning it to its highest setting a few minutes before getting into bed and then turn it off for the night.
Category 3 Savings
- Insulate your ceiling. In uninsulated homes, approximately 40% of heat loss takes place through the roof. Insulation slows heat transfer and makes your home up to 10°C cooler in summer and 5°C warmer in winter.
- Because the sun’s position in the sky changes with the seasons, roof awnings and overhangs can help to shade windows from the hot sun in summer, while still allowing the warm winter sun in.