Just started to live on your own and not sure about how much your heating cost? Feeling helplessly cold but are afraid to keep the heater on for too long? Or you’re the kind that nearly got a panic attack when you got your bills? Perhaps we are all looking for an answer to the question “How much does heating cost per hour?” or “How much does space heating cost in general?”
To be honest, heating costs vary by house/ flat size, heating method, how much insulation, outside temperature, and of course where you’re living in. Not to mention the tax and other additional costs. With this in mind, do you know how much energy you use to heat your home? Let’s find out together and maybe you could find some killer tips along the way.
In general, the easiest way to measure the usage of your heater is to calculate the kilowatt (kWh). Try to note down the numbers on the meter before you turn on your heater. Then, take another look right after you shut it down. Sounds simple right?
In UK, based on the data of British Gas for electricity rate by unit (kWt), it cost around 13 pence per kWh unit. This means that if your heater consumes around 2000 watts (2 kWt), your bill would be 2 kWt x 13 pence per hour.(Energy price in other parts of europe) Alright, let’s explain it again in English. The easiest way to know how much you spend on heating is to subtract your bills and divide it into 30(days)/24hours. Voila, there you go!
Then again, the numbers are based on how big your house or flat is. Of course, the bigger it is, the more it’ll cost. Also, it depends on how long you keep it on for. Usually, it’s better to turn it on half an hour to an hour before your alarm kicks in. Likewise, switch on an hour before you come home then run it about an hour or half an hour before you go to bed. Yet, if you live on your own, you might need to consider keeping the heat focus on the rooms you use. Or simply get a space heater in your bedroom to cut down the usage of central heating.
There are actually several options for the type of energy you use to heat up your home. Electricity (central heating), natural gas, oil, solar, coal, wood… etc. Let’s take electricity and gas heating in details.
Central heating, electric, is cheaper to install and also easy to maintain. As for natural gas, it cost more upfront for the installation, while you might need more maintenance requirements. On the other hand, normally, the price of electricity is a lot more expensive than gas per kWt. Gas would only cost around 1/3 of the price compared to electricity. Last but not least, electricity takes longer to warm up compare to gas.
Let’s take a break from here since these two seems well-matched in strength. In brief, electric heat suits better in a warmer climate place or where gas heat is hard to access. While, gas is the go-to for the ones who live in a colder climate place and might requires a lot usage of the heating system.
Renewable energy is also another choice for heating. For example solar heating, heat pumps, wind turbines… etc. These renewable systems could provide up to 60%~80% of a normal household’s heating needs. Indeed, the installation price might be higher than electricity and gas heating. Anyhow, we are the ones who are harming our mother earth, that’s perhaps the least we can to do to lower the harm.
There are actually many ways and tactics to keep warm and save money at the same time. Aside from the complicated calculations to track your heating bills, heating equipment would probably be a great solution as well.
Electric underblanket is perfect for families with kids and elder parents. It could avoid the possibility of people kicking off their blankets in the middle of the night and caught a cold in the morning. Besides, electric underblanket is comfortable and bill saving, since it only consume 100watts (0.1kWt) per hour.
Don't just look at the price either. It is also important to select an electric blanket with timer, auto switch-off, environment friendly and even 4D temperature technology. Wellcare's electric blanket has all of the elements listed above and provides better warmth, comfort, and breathability!
Heating pad, heating cushion, and other heating equipments are all ideal choice to reduce the cost of using a heater. The most important part is to stay warm and also keep some money in your pocket.
References:
https://www.ovoenergy.com/guides/energy-guides/how-much-heating-energy-do-you-use.html
https://www.livestrong.com/article/215506-electric-vs-natural-gas-heating/
https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/topics/energy-efficiency/heating-and-cooling