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A House Beautiful report lists eight common heating habits that experts say can reduce comfort or waste energy, including setting the thermostat too high, blocking radiators and leaving heating on all day. The report offers practical adjustments, but it does not quantify typical savings or provide independent testing of the advice.
House Beautiful has published a list of eight common heating mistakes that energy and home-heating specialists say can make homes less comfortable or raise energy use, including turning the thermostat up too high, blocking radiators and running heat all day. The advice focuses on everyday adjustments and maintenance, but the report does not give a measured estimate of how much a typical household could save.
The experts interviewed recommend setting a thermostat to a moderate temperature rather than raising it sharply to warm a room faster. Heatforce specialists say turning the thermostat higher does not heat a home faster and can waste energy. The report suggests around 66 degrees Fahrenheit while at home and awake, with a lower setting overnight; that figure is guidance from the article, not a universal prescription for every home or household.
Other suggestions concern how heat moves through rooms and how well a home holds it. Furniture and curtains can obstruct radiators, while gaps around doors and windows can let warm air escape. The Energy Shop’s home energy expert Scott Byrom says moving furniture about six inches from a radiator can help air circulate. Draft blockers and seal strips are among the low-cost fixes cited in the report.
The remaining mistakes involve heating schedules and upkeep: leaving the heating on all day, failing to bleed radiators, using an old or damaged heated blanket, and drying clothes on radiators. Electric Radiators Direct expert Stephen Hankinson recommends programming heat for periods when it is needed. He says air trapped in a radiator can cause cold spots, often at the top, and advises bleeding radiators at least annually. The article also warns that clothes covering radiators may restrict heat circulation and contribute to dampness or mold.
Small Habits Affect Heat and Bills
The report matters to households trying to balance comfort with heating costs because several of its suggestions address avoidable energy use without requiring a new heating system. Clear radiator space, seal obvious drafts and use a heating schedule that matches when rooms are occupied are practical steps homeowners and renters may be able to take.
Some recommendations also concern household safety and indoor conditions, not just bills. The report quotes Vonhaus home electrical buyer Adele Brennan warning that older electric blankets or blankets without overheating protection can pose a fire hazard. Drying clothes on radiators may also add moisture indoors, according to the article. These concerns warrant attention, although the supplied report does not quantify fire risk, mold risk or likely savings from any specific change.
Individual results will depend on factors such as the home’s insulation, heating system, local weather, energy prices and the needs of people living there. The article presents expert advice, not a controlled comparison showing that every household will see lower bills after following the same steps.
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The Advice Behind the Eight Mistakes
The source is a House Beautiful article titled “These 8 Common Heating Mistakes Could Be Costing You More Than You Realize, Experts Warn.” It draws on comments from heating specialists and home, energy and electrical professionals. The supplied material does not state the article’s publication date, identify a specific country or give a broader study measuring household heating habits.
Its central point is that comfort can be affected by more than the thermostat setting. Airflow around radiators, heat escaping through gaps, equipment condition and the timing of heating all affect how warmth is distributed. The eight listed habits are raising the thermostat excessively, placing furniture against radiators, ignoring drafts, relying on an old heated blanket, heating an empty home all day, neglecting radiator bleeding, drying laundry on radiators and—according to the article’s introductory framing—other routine choices that can leave homes colder or use more energy.
The supplied article text ends partway through its discussion of drying clothes on radiators. It does not include the complete final explanation or a full account of the eighth mistake. The headline promises eight items, but the provided source extract does not establish all eight in full; the missing item cannot be described reliably from this material alone.
““While it won’t heat your home any faster, what it will do is waste energy and therefore waste money.””
— Heating specialists at Heatforce
Savings and Missing Article Details
The report does not provide bill data, savings estimates or a comparison baseline for any of the recommendations. Its statement that each degree above 66 degrees Fahrenheit can add 10 percent to annual heating costs is attributed to Heatforce specialists, but the supplied text does not explain the calculation, location, heating system or other assumptions behind that figure. It should not be treated as a guaranteed outcome for every home.
The full text supplied also cuts off during the section about drying clothes on radiators, and it does not show the complete eighth mistake. The article’s full publication date, the experts’ underlying evidence and whether any recommended thermostat setting is appropriate for a particular household are not established here. Advice about radiator maintenance may also vary with system design and manufacturer instructions.
Practical Checks for Households
Readers can start by checking whether furniture or curtains cover radiators, looking for noticeable drafts around doors and windows, and reviewing the heating schedule against the times people are home. Anyone with a cold patch at the top of a radiator can consult the system’s instructions or a qualified heating professional about bleeding it safely; heating should be switched off first, and the radiator key and valve should be handled carefully.
Households should check heated blankets for damage and follow the manufacturer’s age, care and safety guidance rather than using an old blanket as a substitute for addressing a cold room. For dampness or mold concerns, avoid treating radiator drying advice as a complete remedy: ventilation and the cause of excess moisture also matter. The supplied material gives no follow-up study or scheduled policy action; the next useful evidence would be the complete article and household-specific assessments of costs, safety and heating performance.
Key Questions
What heating mistakes does the report identify?
It discusses setting the thermostat too high, blocking radiators with furniture or curtains, ignoring drafts, using an old heated blanket, running heat all day, failing to bleed radiators and drying clothes on radiators. The supplied extract does not include the full description of the eighth item.
Does turning up the thermostat heat a home faster?
Heatforce specialists quoted by House Beautiful say it does not. They warn that a higher setting may use more energy, though the report does not provide independent testing or a household-specific cost estimate.
How can I tell if a radiator may need bleeding?
Stephen Hankinson of Electric Radiators Direct says a radiator that is cooler at the top than at the bottom may have trapped air. Follow the heating system’s instructions or ask a qualified professional if you are unsure how to service it.
How much money could these changes save?
The report does not give an overall savings figure or measured results for the eight suggestions. Any change in bills would depend on the home, heating system, weather, energy prices and how the household uses heat.
Why does the article warn about old heated blankets?
Vonhaus’s Adele Brennan says older electric blankets, or those without overheating protection, can pose a fire hazard. The article recommends a newer blanket with automatic shut-off as a safer option, while noting that a blanket does not fix an underlying cold-room problem.
Source: housebeautiful.com
