Winter holidays are one of the most awaited moments of the years, but always bring with them an important question: if we are away from home for a long time, do we turn the boiler off or leave it on?

Is this choice more cost effective?

Is there an actual reduction in heating costs in an apartment that is left empty for some time?

There are many different views on this topic.

Do we turn off or not turn off the heating when we go on holiday?

Safety and immediate cost: why you should turn off the heating

There are several factors to consider, that vary from situation to situation.

The main reason used by those who choose to turn off the boiler if away for a long time in winter is a simple one: safety.

In fact, turning off the boiler and shutting off the gas supply means avoiding any unpleasant incidents that could also be serious. 

Of course, asking the boiler technician for advice, or looking at the maintenance manual may give you more information.

However, if this can’t be done, the best choice would be to turn off the heating, to be prudent and to have no concerns at the same time.

However, it is also true that the ignition on modern boilers no longer depends on a pilot light, but on a so-called piezoelectric pilot.

Basically, turning on the heat generator starts from a heating element, that is electronically regulated, increasing safety and reducing the probability of any dangerous gas leaks.

Another reason could be the belief that that during holidays, it is more cost effective to turn off the boiler.  

However, in terms of consumption, you must bear in mind that these are calculated in any case, even if nobody is at home, and it is therefore necessary to take into account various factors, such as:

• size of the system
• type of home
• type of system
• time you are away from home for

The combination of these factors can lead to different configurations and each situation brings about different conclusions.

Therefore, if your holiday lasts for several days, you could think, for example of not turning off the heating, but keeping it at a lower, constant temperature.

This applies most of all if you live in an apartment and don’t want to find a freezing house when you return home.

Keeping the heating on is worthwhile in the long term

First of all, we should mention that to reduce consumption, we usually only turn on the heating for a few hours a day, perhaps when we wake up or in the late afternoon when we return home from work.

If we have to heat up a cold room, energy efficiency is placed under considerable strain.

In fact, gas consumption must be higher to cope with a lower temperature.

In particular radiators can also emit intense heat in a short space of time, but the perceived temperature will be lower, as the walls will release all the cold they have accumulated during the time the system has been turned off.

After just 2-3 hours, the perceived temperature will begin to feel pleasant.

It is often the case, however, that the temperature rises too far, in this way, above the set temperature, causing an annoying sensation or causing dust to rise, which is damaging for breathing.

Reducing heating, therefore, when a room is empty, and then increasing it only when someone is actually home stresses all the internal parts of the radiators and the boiler.

Consequently, deterioration is quicker, also increasing the need to resort to interventions by specialised technicians.

On the other hand, energy efficiency will be different for a boiler that is constantly turned on, even at night.

Indeed, its work will be solely to keep the room temperature constant, thus working at minimum power.

In this way, the boiler motor will not be particularly placed under stress, therefore preserving it for longer and protecting its parts in the long term.

So, radiators will thus need less energy to heat up, maintaining their temperature which will never be too hot or unpleasant.

In this way, in fact, the radiators will provide a uniform temperature throughout the home.

Of course, if you are away for long periods of time, we recommend you set a constant temperature of about 10°C.

If your house is in a difficult position, in the mountains, or extremely exposed, there may be a risk when you turn off the heating that the pipes freeze over, with unfortunate consequences.

It is clear that new generation systems such as heat pumps (electric) or  condensation boilers (gas) help to achieve considerable energy efficiency, and respect the environment.

So what about costs?

It is mainly large increases in the price of the raw material, gas or electricity, that makes bills increase.

There are, however, modern heating systems such as IRSAP NOW that allow you to save and also do not affect your system’s efficiency, without having to resort to annoying, costly maintenance.

The smart heating solution: Holiday mode

The IRSAP NOW smart heating system allows you to optimise consumption and is perfect for whenever your are away travelling.

In fact, IRSAP NOW is the innovative heating management system that transforms a traditional heating system into a smart, wireless and multizone system that can be personalised for any type of home.

It thus guarantees comfort, money saving and remote control, in addition to being a tangible aid to safeguarding the environment, limiting emissions to the max.

It allows you to control your heating system remotely, detecting and reporting any type of fault in real time, and allowing you to return home and find the ideal temperature, and more importantly no unpleasant surprises!

In particular, Holiday Mode is perfect for anyone who goes on holiday at the coldest time of year and stays away from home for long periods.

Using this mode, the heating system is set to the  antifreeze temperature: on your return you will have consumed less and have no unpleasant surprises.

For example, the system will notify you if the boiler shuts down, allowing you to intervene promptly.

Also, with IRSAP NOW smart thermostatic valves, you can control the temperature whenever and wherever your want via your smartphone without any building work being necessary.

IRSAP NOW smart thermostatic valves are compatible with all radiator brands and the main valve brands.

They have been specifically designed to protect everyone’s safety, including children’s, and can detect an open window in a room, automatically adapting the radiator temperature, in order to avoid pointless consumption.

The Smart Valves are also available as part of the kit with thermostatic valves and Connection Unit to connect to the home router and essential for controlling the entire system wherever and whenever you want, directly from your smartphone.