The next heating bill will not arrive until next summer. However, you can influence this now and this can be worthwhile given the current heating oil costs. If you keep your whole apartment at a temperature during the cold season that guarantees comfort wearing only a T-shirt and briefs, you will have to dig deeper into your wallet for the heating bill than in previous years. However, with a few targeted measures, heating costs can be reduced considerably.
We heat to avoid freezing. In reality, however, we often heat beyond this target, which is pointless. Every degree too high means 6% of heating energy is used unnecessarily, and every degree less reduces consumption accordingly.

Every degree counts: The room temperature in the living area should not be more than 20 - 21° C. A sweater, long trousers and a pair of warm socks will help to keep you comfortable. In adjoining rooms such as the kitchen, where the fridge, stove and dishwasher also heat up, the heating can be turned down. In the bedroom, 17 - 18° C is sufficient. The decisive factor here is the individual comfort temperature. This depends primarily on the surface temperature of the walls and windows on the room side.

Only heat rooms when necessary: ​​Every apartment has rooms that are not used for certain hours. The temperature in these rooms can be lowered by several degrees. The same applies to the entire apartment or house when you are away for a longer period of time. During the night, the room temperature in living and work rooms does not have to be 20° C either. Modern heating systems allow the room temperature to be lowered centrally.

However, room temperatures should not fall below 16 °C to avoid structural damage. The frost protection position of the thermostat valve helps prevent this.

Thermostatic valves slow down "automatically": They keep the temperature in each room constant at the desired level, even when the sun is shining into the room. Position three means a room temperature of around 20° C. By using thermostatic valves correctly, 4 to 8 percent of heating energy can be saved. However, it is important to ensure that heavy curtains do not cover the thermostatic valves, otherwise they will not work properly.

Regular ventilation: Tilt windows are "permanent ventilators" and literally let the heat out of the window. It is best to ventilate the entire apartment five to six times a day with the windows wide open for a few minutes. The air is exchanged quickly, but the walls and furniture do not cool down.

Regular ventilation helps to improve the indoor climate and prevent moisture damage. Modern, airtight windows and doors also keep the humidity in the room. If the moisture settles in cool places such as window reveals or outside corners, it can lead to the formation of harmful mold. There is an increased risk if a lot of moisture has been released during use of a room (bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, drying laundry, humidifier).

Close roller shutters and window blinds: When the outside temperature is low, the greatest heat loss occurs through the windows. Heat loss can be reduced by consistently closing the roller shutters. The saving effect of this measure is increased if you draw curtains that cover the window but not the heater.

During the day, the shutters should also be open in unused rooms. This way, the sun's heat can also be used to regulate the room temperature, particularly on the south-facing facade.

Avoid heat build-up on radiators: Furniture in front of radiators prevents heat from being released into the room. If heavy curtains are placed over the radiators, heat loss can increase significantly - the heat is conducted outside through the windows.

Use additional electric heaters only in emergencies: Continuous operation of fan heaters and radiators is a waste of energy and money. Such devices should only be used in emergencies and for a short period of time.

If you follow these tips, you can save on heating costs without much effort and make a contribution to the environment. Even in buildings without consumption-based heating billing, the savings will be financially noticeable. Even with individual billing, only about a third of the costs can be effectively influenced. In addition, the fixed costs for recording are so high in old buildings that the heating costs are higher than if the billing were for the entire building.