Energy Price Rises and How Heating and Home Ventilating Impacts Health

Energy Price Rises and How Heating and Ventilating the Home Impacts Health

By Ruth MacEachern

Product Manager

Energy prices have risen sharply over the past 12 months, which has meant some households simply cannot afford to heat their homes.

Selected energy suppliers have provided electric blankets and credited balances to those most in need, but many people have been left struggling with the substantial heating price increase and, in many cases, have simply had to turn the heating off.

What is the impact of not heating a home?

The fabric of our properties and systems within rely upon a consistent level of warmth to be able to provide a healthy, comfortable and well-ventilated home. The relationship between the temperature in a property in-line with relative humidity levels could lead to problems with mould and condensation, which then affects indoor air quality and in turn, the health and lives of occupants. See this link for more information- https://www.envirovent.com/temperature-and-relative-humidity/.

Whilst there is no question that this is a worrying time for consumers who have been left with heavily inflated energy prices, some of the more hidden elements – such as indoor air quality – should be factored in alongside this. Everyday activities, such as cooking and bathing, increase humidity within a property, and without heating and adequate ventilation, this can lead to issues such as steamed up windows, black mould within the property, and wet/cold walls. This can lead to respiratory issues, such as asthma and cause further health problems.

EnviroVent regularly sees this occur in poorly ventilated properties, those without adequate heat sources or if a household cannot afford to fully heat the property. Due to the current housing shortage, there is also a significant issue with overcrowding and the potential living conditions associated with this. To give an idea of the potential affect this has, four people living in a three-bedroomed property would create 112 pints of moisture per week from just breathing, cooking, showering and boiling the kettle.

Many ventilation systems incur a very low running cost – this small fee is far less than the cost to rectify the issues caused by poor ventilation.

Hopefully this gives a clearer idea why careful consideration needs to be given before switching off the heating or the ventilation system in the home, particularly in colder weather.  The impact on the fabric of the house and the health of occupants can be huge.

Find out more about how different ventilation systems work, by following the link here: Types of Ventilation

Find out More

If you’re worried about how rising energy costs could affect your home and create expensive problems with condensation that could damage your health, please contact us today to book a FREE home survey from one of our ventilation specialists.  They will visit your home, identify potential causes of condensation, mould and damp, and provide you with advice about the best way to prevent them.  Simply fill in your postcode below to find your local expert.