How to save energy in a healthy way

In the short term, how can you prevent the monthly expenses from getting completely out of hand? And how can we keep our house free of mould while setting the thermostat as low as possible? Especially as winter approaches.

First and foremost: installing or improving insulation is a very good way to make a home more energy efficient. However, it is important to also have a plan for air circulation when you do so. Supplying fresh air and extracting used air are what matters here. So, insulation and ventilation combine to provide a sustainable and healthy living environment.

The humidity in the house quickly increases in the cold season. Lack of fresh air and ventilation creates the perfect environment for mould, because high humidity encourages the growth of mould. Basically, most moulds are microscopic. As they multiply, you suddenly start seeing and feeling them. When mould spores become airborne, they can cause allergic reactions around the eyes or in the respiratory tract. Keeping humidity at the right level prevents mould and saves heating costs. This is because heating humid air costs more energy than heating dry air. You can easily measure humidity yourself using a hygrometer. If it shows a value between 40% and 60%, you're fine!

Ventilation with an HRS system provides dry air that is easy to heat. This system delivers additional benefits because the heat is recovered. As a result, a well-functioning ventilation system yields more than it costs. So it benefits our wallets as well as our health. This is because adequate mechanical ventilation prevents mould from forming, with all its unpleasant consequences. Moreover, the new generations of fans for home use are becoming increasingly energy-efficient.

Besides this, you can also improve your current ventilation system with CO2 and humidity sensors. By installing these, you create a demand-controlled ventilation system that automatically responds to excessive CO2 or humidity levels.

There seems to be a proliferation of methods for saving on energy costs. Searches for terms like "wood-burning stove" and "wall heaters" have doubled. As people start burning more, the price of wood is also going up sharply. With the result that at current prices wood and pellet stoves cost more than using central heating. We have also come across other homespun alternatives for turning the heating down. For any method of saving, look carefully at the consequences.

We have three things we can recommend to you and three others we definitely cannot, based on cost and healthy air. To get through the winter feeling relaxed and comfortable, here are the do's and don'ts:

Recommended

• Insulate well and ventilate.

• Heat rooms selectively. In rooms you rarely or never use, you can keep the temperature low. However, maintain a minimum temperature of 12 - 15 degrees to avoid mould.

• Thermal clothing and electric blankets provide direct, localised warmth to your body. They feel cosy and that way you can turn the thermostat down a bit.

Not recommended

• The pollutants released by wood- and pellet-burning stoves are very unhealthy.

• Leaving the oven door open or using the dryer for longer to heat a room costs more than it yields.

• Candles can create a beautiful atmosphere and are definitely very good at doing so. The same is not true if you are burning them to heat a room, while putting them under a flower pot to capture and retain the heat. That's a dust particulate bomb.