Adnkronos Rome, October 6 (Adnkronos/Labitalia) – With heating coming on just around the corner, the efficiency of the system becomes crucial to reduce energy consumption and save money. But how can we check if it's working efficiently or if it needs some work? The National Consumers' Union has summarized the main things to do for Adnkronos/Labitalia. Here's what to check.
1) Is the house well insulated? A poorly insulated building increases heating and air conditioning costs in the summer because heat is lost through windows, walls, attics, and the roof.
2) Do windows and glass doors lose heat? If they aren't double-glazed, yes, even if the building's walls are adequately insulated. The most effective solution is to replace the frames: double glazing, the space between the two layers of glass, serves to reduce heat transfer.
3) Is the boiler efficient? Condensing boilers are more efficient than traditional ones because they recover heat lost in the flue and reuse it for heating. They cost more than traditional models, but they are at least 20-30% more efficient. 4) Are there thermostatic valves? These valves, installed on the radiators, allow the various radiators in the home to operate independently and close as the room temperature approaches the desired setting.
To independently manage heating, if you live in an apartment building with a centralized heating system, you can install an individual heat metering system, which allows each family to be charged for the heat they actually consume. A fixed portion of the heating costs (between 20 and 40%) is divided among the condominium members based on the thousandths of the apartments and serves to cover the maintenance costs of the shared boiler and to compensate for heat exchanges with adjacent apartments.
Heat metering is achieved by installing an electronic heating cost allocator on each individual radiator.
This device reads data relating to the amount of heat used by each radiator, which will then be billed to the family by the building administrator based on recorded consumption. Heat metering is typically performed by a specialized company. Individual heat metering can also be installed in older condominiums, where the heating systems consist of risers that feed radiators located on the same vertical axis on various floors of the building.