With these 6 heating errors, give away cash!

It should be cozy and warm in winter - or at least so warm that the tip of our nose doesn't freeze off in the house and apartment. Are you one of those people who are already afraid of the next gas or oil bill? Then it could be that you commit one or more of the following heating errors. Unfortunately, they not only cost money, they also cost energy and damage our climate. But don't despair: You can iron out these mistakes.

Typical mistakes: why heating isn't that easy

It's kind of crazy: You just want to bring a little warmth into the house - but despite ever more modern technology, that's not that easy. It is true that very few people in this country still heat the whole house with the small wood stove in the kitchen. But heaters and radiators are also prone to errors - not to mention the composition of the room...

How noticeable is the heating at the end of the bill? According to the Federal Environment Agency, 70 percent of the energy consumption in German households is due to our heating. And a lot of it, yes, just fizzles out. But if you eliminate the following mistakes, you save money and protect the environment. The good thing: You can get rid of some little mistakes very quickly and without any specialist knowledge.

1. Mistakes when heating: open window

The first mistake doesn't even have that much to do with the heating itself, but with one of the Germans' favorite pastimes: airing! One likes to see them in households: tilted windows, even in winter.

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Now you may say: Open windows are important! Yes indeed. Especially in winter, a lot of moisture can accumulate in the interior, be it from cooking or in the bathroom, from drying laundry or just from the air we breathe. And this moisture has to get out, otherwise there is a risk of mold.

But the crux of the matter is that open windows that are tilted open are practically useless, because especially in winter the walls near the window really cool down when the window is tilted for a long time - and we have to heat again. In addition, there is hardly any air exchange. But that's exactly what we want. How it works? ventilation! And preferably several times a day, but at least in the morning and evening:

Open all windows fully, leave them open for a few minutes and then close them again. This can create a chilly mood for a few minutes, but the advantage is that the air is exchanged once, but the walls remain warm, and the heating can bring the rooms back to a comfortable temperature quickly and effortlessly. Another plus point: The fresh air ensures a clear head.

Proper ventilation: This way you don't do anything wrong, even in winter

2. Heating mistakes: furniture in front of the radiators

Are you an interior design professional? All the better - then you may have something to do now. Do you see the radiators in your apartment? Then it's alright. Is there furniture, such as a sofa, a desk or the bed, in front of it? Then please redecorate! Because objects in front of the radiator accumulate heat and no longer reach the rest of the room properly.

The bottom line: You think it's too cool in the room and turn the heating up - although that wouldn't actually be necessary if the heated air could be distributed better. The best thing is really nothing in front of the radiator.

Clean radiators: This is how you get the gaps clean

3. Mistake: How do you actually read a thermostat?

Regular heating thermostats - i.e. the temperature controller on the radiator - are labeled with an asterisk and the numbers from 1 to 5. Contrary to what many people think, however, they do not indicate how quickly a room heats up, but specify a specific temperature. Level 3, for example, stands for around 20 °C and is therefore perfect for living rooms.

Level 5, on the other hand, heats the room to a proud 28 °C over time - and thus almost has the qualities of a sauna (especially if you don't ventilate properly...). The time it takes to reach a certain temperature always remains the same. Setting it briefly to 5 will do you no good at all - except for a room that is much too warm and high heating costs if you don't turn it down quickly enough.

You can read here exactly what the numbers on the radiator thermostat are all about.

Tip: Not every room has to be heated to the same temperature. In the bedroom, for example, you sleep much better at cooler temperatures of 16 to 18 °C (level 2 to 2.5). 18 °C (level 2.5) is also sufficient in the kitchen. After all, cooking heat also heats - and your food will thank you for being stored a little cooler. We feel most comfortable in the living room at around 20 °C (level 3). On the other hand, it can be a little warmer in the bathroom (up to 24 °C, corresponds to level 4) when you get out of the warm shower (but definitely air it afterwards!).

If a room is hardly used and therefore does not need to be heated, all you have to do is set the thermostat to the asterisk. The room is then only heated up to 5 °C - this protects the pipes from frost.

4. Mistakes during the heating period: heating too warm

Honestly: We wish the summer back on many a gray and cold winter day. But it really doesn't have to be heated so much that you can stretch out on the sofa in your underwear. Because: Every extra degree makes a huge difference in the heating bill - and wastes far too much energy.

Small example: It costs you a whole 24 percent more energy to heat the apartment to 24 °C instead of 20 °C - i.e. to set the heating to level 4 instead of 3. After all, a pullover is also comfortable – and so are snuggly socks.

5. Mistakes when heating: The insulation is missing and the heat "escapes"

Even if you like to hear it: Cold air doesn't come in - warm air goes outside! And that is exactly what happens in many households when windows and doors are not insulated well enough.

You should therefore regularly check the seals on doors and especially on windows. In rented apartments you can also contact the landlord.

6. Mistake: leave the heating to its own devices and forget about maintenance

Heaters are objects of daily use and are sometimes in constant use for months. In order for them to be able to do their job properly, they have to be serviced regularly. You should therefore have the system checked annually by a person with specialist knowledge. And just before the heating season or when the heating is gurgling, it's time to vent! You can even reduce your expenses by another 15 percent!

What happens if the heating in the rented apartment fails? Tenants have these rights:

Really a bug? Turn off the heating completely

Are you part of the faction "at night and when nobody is there: turn off the heating" - or do you leave your radiators running even when rooms are unused? This is where opinions differ – even in expert circles.

On the one hand, Group 1 argues: If the room is not used, it would be a waste of energy to heat it anyway. Group 2, on the other hand, says: But then the room, including the walls, cools down too much, so that all the more heating energy is needed to bring it back to a comfortable temperature.

What does the Federal Environment Agency say? In 2019, the recommendation was: "Weighing up between 'saving energy' and 'using as little energy as possible for reheating', it is best if the temperature in living and working spaces is reduced by 4 to 5 degrees Celsius at night. It shouldn't be more , otherwise too much energy is required for reheating." However, the sentence can no longer be found in the heating recommendations of the UBA. But the authority does not object either.

People simply do not agree - and ultimately there is probably no universal solution here, but it clearly depends on the individual case: Is the room well insulated and does it lose little heat? Then the heating can certainly be turned off. However, if a room cools down quickly without heating, regular counterheating is probably the better choice. And then, of course, it always depends on what and how often the room in question is used - in rooms and storage rooms that are rarely used, the asterisk on the thermostat may be enough.

Tip: Heating with renewable energies

Climate protection should always be written larger. One thing we can all do is switch to renewable energy - in many cases also for heating. Don't worry, there doesn't have to be a conflict with landlords right away by asking for a solar system on the roof. But if you heat with electricity, for example, switch to green electricity from renewable sources. This is usually easy for the next annual statement. Another advantage: In the long term, this even saves money, because if more people use green electricity, we will come a step closer to the energy transition. This also benefits the electricity price.

Anyone who owns a house or can help decide how it is heated can still find out about solar thermal energy or pellet stoves. And gas can also come from renewable sources. So if you have a gas boiler at home and can decide for yourself where you get your gas from, consider this option.

Bug fixed? Then we have 11 tips here with which you can save more than 600 euros on heating costs and tell you more about heating properly in winter.

Looking for more household tips? This is the best way to dry your laundry in winter! We also have tips for sustainable living for you.