The idea to “heat only the rooms you need to and close the doors to the colder areas” can save energy, emissions and money but it probably needs a little explanation. Best suited to houses with gas central heating where there is individual temperature control on your radiators (check if you have Thermostatic Radiator Valves or TRVs on each radiator allowing the radiator to be closed off when the room reaches a desired temperature). Ideally you turn the temperature down in the rooms you don’t need the high temperatures and keep the temperature to a comfortable level in the area you spend most time. For this approach to work it is best if the doors separating the areas are kept closed as much as possible. Often it is the ventilation that is neglected in conversations about heating and interior health. By closing the doors, the room ventilation (typically trickle vents in the windows) will allow the room to get down to a sensible humidity level that will prevent mould growth. Warm air from one part of the house will contain more moisture and this may end up as condensation when the warmer moist air meets a cold surface. Ideally all rooms should be dry. When doors are closed to less frequented areas, the temperature can be allowed to fall as long as we avoid condensation. When the external temperatures get very low, this approach to reduce the temperature in some areas can significantly lower the bills. People with cold conservatories may already effectively use this when they close the door to the conservatory in winter to save bills.

In summary, closing doors allows the heat to be retained better in the areas you need to be kept warm and can reduce the risk of mould growth in cooler areas of the home (provided there is some trickle ventilation in all areas of course).

Top tip: keep doors closed to kitchens, cooking areas, bathrooms and shower rooms in order to keep the high humidity air away from the rest of the home. Switch on additional ventilation when using these areas too. In fact, keeping kitchens and bathrooms cooler than other areas may also help with moisture control.

For other ways to save without spending, have a look here.