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The One Room Heating Revolution – How Pensioners Can Follow Government Advice and Save Money

New Government advice tells pensioners to heat just one room this winter.

Central heating suited the typical family of the 60’s and 70’s and was an aspiration for many as houses were modernised after the austere 1950’s.  The central heating would be off during the day while you were at work, and the children at school, and then would come on in the evening warming the house throughout.

But with many pensioners occupying just one room during the day, central heating can lead to inefficiency and waste.

William Haseldine, of on-demand heating specialist BeWarmer Ltd, comments, “Pensioners, who may have a largely sedentary lifestyle, often struggle to stay warm.  They can’t afford to turn up the central heating and if they did, all they would get is stuffy air at head height, and draughts at ankle level, because radiators cause convection currents.

“Then there is the obvious inefficiency of having the heating on in parts of the house they are not using.

“The modern solution is to turn down, or, better still, turn off the central heating during the day and use on-demand heating in the area they spend their time.  

“However, up to now, portable heaters have been inefficient, ugly, and a trip hazard for the elderly.  Some heaters rely on convection that has the same drawbacks as central heating radiators.  They create draughts at floor level and overheated stuffy air.  

“A new type of portable heater, an under-rug heater, overcomes these problems.  It’s a bit like an electric blanket that lies beneath a rug and gently radiates heat upwards.  The Americans call it ‘area heating’ as anyone in the area of the rug (with the heater beneath) will feel the radiant warmth.

“The under-rug heater is perfect as it can be plugged in under the kitchen table, or in front of your favourite chair, and the warmth is where you need it – under your feet. The air stays cool and easy to breathe.”

Because the under-rug heater allows you to keep the central heating turned down, pensioners can save money too.  The Energy Saving Trust calculates that for every degree you turn down the thermostat you save £65 per year.

Haseldine continues, “The under-rug heater is a good example of on-demand heating. It provides a secondary source in the areas you need warmth and comfort most – in front of your favourite chair, under the home office desk, beside the bed, in the conservatory, under the kitchen table and so on – and it means you can usually turn the central heating down by up to 3 degrees and still feel comfortable. This offers the potential for savings of around £200 per year.”

The RugBuddy™ is a plug-in under-rug heater that sits on the floor and you cover with a rug. It conforms to all safety requirements for domestic appliances, is fitted with a standard 3 pin plug and gives you that underfloor heating feeling without the expense of an installed system.

RugBuddy is available online at http://www.bewarmer.co.uk/rugbuddy-under-rug-heating/ and ships to all main European locations.

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