Winter sets in and heating bills climb. Faced with this situation, many owners and tenants are wondering about the relevance of heating low-traffic spaces in their homes. Guest room, occasional office, storage room… These areas often represent a significant surface area of the home. Yet, the decision to completely turn off the heating in these rooms could prove more costly than it seems.
Minimum heating: a necessity to preserve your home
The temptation to turn off radiators in rarely used rooms is great, especially when energy prices are soaring.. But this apparent saving hides real risks for housing. An unheated room quickly becomes a breeding ground for moisture accumulation. Cold air, which is naturally more humid, causes condensation on walls and windows. This excessive humidity encourages the appearance of mold which not only degrades construction materials, but also threatens the health of occupants.
Experts recommend maintaining a minimum temperature around 14 to 16°C in these spaces. This solution helps avoid humidity problems while limiting energy consumption. Moderate heating also guarantees better air circulation throughout the home, preventing the formation of cold zones which disrupt the overall thermal balance of the home.
Insulation and type of heating: determining factors
The energy performance of housing plays a crucial role in this equation. A well-insulated home retains heat more effectively, naturally reducing the need to heat low-traffic rooms. Conversely, a poorly insulated building suffers more from temperature differences between different zones. These significant thermal variations increase the risk of condensation and increase heat loss.
The heating system also influences the strategy to adopt. Centralized hot water installations work optimally when they heat the entire home evenly. Cutting off certain radiators completely can unbalance the system and reduce its overall efficiency. Individual electric heaters offer more flexibility, allowing precise room-by-room control.
Intelligent management to combine savings and comfort
The most effective approach is to adapt the heating according to the use of each space. New technologies, such as connected thermostats, facilitate this fine management of temperature. These devices allow you to program heating time slots and automatically adjust the temperature according to room occupancy.
For a guest bedroom, for example, it makes sense to maintain a reduced base temperature most of the time, then turn up the heat a few hours before guests arrive. This method avoids waste while guaranteeing the comfort of occasional occupants.
Old houses deserve special attention. Their high thermal inertia means that they take longer to warm up after a period of cold. In this case, maintaining a constant minimum temperature often proves more economical than having to completely reheat a cooled room.
Investing in insulation represents the most sustainable solution. An energy audit makes it possible to identify the building’s weak points and target priority improvements. Good insulation of walls, attics and windows considerably reduces the heating needs of the entire home.
- Maintain a minimum temperature of 14-16°C in lightly used rooms to prevent humidity
- Invest in insulation rather than turning off the heating completely
- Choose programmable thermostats for intelligent heating management
