In the midst of a chilly winter, there's nothing better than cranking the heat pump to make a room cosy - but turns out, you could be making a costly mistake when it comes to heating your home.
According to Consumer NZ, there's actually one ideal temperature you want to keep your machine set at for ultimate efficiency, and it's probably a lot lower than what you might think.
“Heat pumps use increasingly higher amounts of energy for each degree increase above the optimal setting,” says one Consumer NZ spokesperson.
They add: “A heat pump set at 27 degrees will consume at least 50% more electricity than if it was set at 21 degrees.”
Apparently, you can save up to a whopping $320 a year if you run your heat pump at 21 degrees, rather than blasting the heat at 30 degrees.
So, what’s the sweet spot? Consumer NZ says the best range is 19 to 21 degrees for max efficiency.
In a pro tip we hadn’t thought of, Consumer NZ says: “If you get home and the house is cold and you want it to heat it up quickly, turn the fan setting up rather than the temperature.”
Last year, Consumer NZ also answered the popular question of whether we should be leaving our heat pumps on ALL night and does that actually save us power like people assume?
Our very own Paul Flynny investigated with Consumer NZ's Test Content Team Leader, James le Page and the answer might shock you.
So, reckon your heating habits need an overhaul? Your bank account might thank you!
