Closed doors save money
Even if the gas price is far from the record highs recorded in August 2022, saving energy remains a present issue. The “Energy Change” campaign of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection recommends closing doors. In this way, rooms can be heated in a more targeted manner and it is easier to achieve a slightly higher temperature in the living room than in the hallway, for example. The Federal Environment Agency, for example, recommends temperatures of 20 to 22 degrees Celsius in living areas, while 18 degrees Celsius are sufficient in bedrooms and kitchens. Even a slightly lower temperature already has a big impact: a room temperature that is one degree lower already results in energy savings of six percent.
Controversial issue of ventilation
When it comes to ventilation, however, there is not agreement on all aspects. There is consensus that the tilting function of the window is inefficient: tilting the window instead of opening it wide reduces the rate of air exchange and the window usually stays tilted a little longer. As a result, walls and furniture cool down, which later have to be warmed up again. This is different with forced ventilation: by opening the windows in a concentrated manner, the air in the room is exchanged for fresh air in a short time, after which the windows can be closed again. Simply heating the air is significantly more energy-efficient than bringing cooled furniture back up to temperature. It is unclear whether the room doors should remain open or closed during ventilation. According to the Internet service Stromvergleich.de, doors should remain closed, otherwise the unwanted humidity will migrate to another room. Closing the doors saves 20 euros a year, Stromvergleich.de continues. The hardware store chain OBI and the Federal Ministry of Economics counters: The best way to ventilate is to also open interior doors. Ideally, opposite windows can be opened, the resulting draft accelerates the exchange of air.
prevent mold
Even if a low temperature in sparsely inhabited rooms seems tempting for cost reasons, heating should not be neglected completely: If the outer walls cool down too much, cold bridges can form there, on which the humidity in the air condenses. Mold then has an easy time spreading and can cause health effects such as headaches, fatigue and, in the worst case, serious illnesses, according to OBI.
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