How Gentle Background Heat Poses Less Health Risks
How hot is your home? Brits are setting their thermostats to record-high temperatures which is both bad for the body and the environment.
Spring is here, bringing with it hopes of better weather, blue skies and the promise of summer around the corner. Yet, many UK homeowners find it hard to determine the right moment to turn off the central heating at home; in fact,recent research conducted by British Gas found that up to 8 million Brits use the same settings of central heating in April that they have been using since January. Not only is this terrible for the environment, it can have a damaging impact on your personal health as well. Here we discuss the problems associated with the overuse of central heating, and why you should consider using tube heaters as an alternative.
How Hot Do You Like It?
With energy prices constantly rising, it might be a sensible assumption that homeowners would behave frugally to try and save a few quid. However, rather than piling on the blankets and extra jumpers, a survey conducted by E ON found that homeowners are setting their thermostats as high as 27C in a bid to stay warm at home. This love of a tropical home environment seems to be a generational thing, as those aged between 25 and 34 were four times more likely than their parents to prefer this temperature. 2% admitted to cranking up the temperature so that they were free to lounge around comfortably in their underwear.
How Central Heating Affects General Health
However, even for those who can afford it and have no regard for the environmental impact of their actions, such reliance on central heating at home causes several problems for the body. This is especially problematic if some rooms are kept particularly hot, while others such as conservatories or spare rooms are cold. Moving from a hot to cold environment can cause the blood pressure to rise and create disturbances to the cardiac rhythm including heart attacks.
Central heating is also incredibly drying and can trigger many types of allergies, as it removes natural moisture from the eyes and sinuses. Sinusitis is a common complaint when central heating is used excessively. A solution can be to place a bowl of water in the room, invest in some houseplants, and of course turn your central heating off when winter ends.
Tube Heaters As A Gentle Alternative
Now that spring is here, there is a way to gently offer background heat to warm your rooms, while removing the reliance on central heating. Tube heaters are made from aluminium and can be discreetly installed on the walls, providing a low-wattage output of 150W. They are an ideal heating solution in small rooms, although there’s nothing to stop you installing them in multiple rooms throughout your home. At a cost of half a penny per hour of heat, they’ll save you an absolute fortune in comparison to setting your central heating to tropical temperatures.
If you’re reading this in a baking hot house, with more than a little guilt about your excessive use of central heating this winter, then it’s time to turn it off. Invest in a couple of tube heaters and you’ll be amazed how far into autumn you get before you need to turn the thermostat back up again!