We all know that energy prices are rising. The need for gas has increased over the last few years & its supply can’t deal with the demand. It has been announced the energy price cap will increase by 54% from 1st April 2022. Unfortunately, instead of being able to charge a maximum £1,277 per year, utility companies can now charge a maximum of £1,971 per year. This will leave many of us feeling the cold, do you know the effect the lack of heating in the home can have on your health?
Some of us will try to keep warm without turning on our home’s heating to save on our gas bills. We can do things like shut the curtains, close the doors of unused rooms, leave the oven door open after cooking & buy electric blankets. However, it is important to put your home heating systems on occasionally throughout the day.
Health Effects that a Lack of Heating Can Cause
If you are living in a house that is classed as too cold, then you are increasing your chances of suffering from general illnesses, blood pressure rises, cardiovascular disease, respiratory illnesses such as asthma, and even pneumonia. Your mental health may also decline if you’re unable to get enough sleep because of the cold or if you are stressed about the situation, for example. People with existing health problems and specific disabilities are particularly vulnerable to the cold. 18 degrees Celsius is the recommended sleeping temperature and 19-21 degrees Celsius is the recommended temperature for during the day. Anything below this for sustained periods of time will ultimately put your health at risk.
Health Effects that a Lack of Heating Can Cause
If you are living in a house that is classed as too cold, then you are increasing your chances of suffering from general illnesses, blood pressure rises, cardiovascular disease, respiratory illnesses such as asthma, and even pneumonia. Your mental health may also decline if you’re unable to get enough sleep because of the cold or if you are stressed about the situation, for example. People with existing health problems and specific disabilities are particularly vulnerable to the cold. 18 degrees Celsius is the recommended sleeping temperature and 19-21 degrees Celsius is the recommended temperature for during the day. Anything below this for sustained periods of time will ultimately put your health at risk.
What Things Can Help You Out
‘But how am I supposed to be able to afford this?’, you may ask. ‘My boiler is old and inefficient’, you may say. Here at Next Energy, we specialise in working with utility companies so that they meet their ECO obligations. The Government Green Home Scheme is now closed but the Government ECO Scheme has been set up to assist low-income households cut their energy bills.
You could be eligible for a free boiler grant if you meet the following criteria: you are a homeowner, you claim certain benefits and your boiler is more than 6 years old. Older boilers are only 60-70 percent efficient. By upgrading, you will no longer be wasting money running an inefficient boiler.
If you have electric storage heaters, then you have electric heating systems for home use instead of a gas central heating system. If you have electric heating systems for home heating, then you may be eligible for a storage heater grant to help improve the efficiency of your electric heating systems which will therefore help reduce your bills.
Additionally, you could be eligible for a first-time gas central heating system grant or even an insulation grant.
