energy, heat | Many people turn off the heat: - at worst, it can be due to negligence

This was revealed in a recent survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of Tryg Forsikring.

The numbers worry the insurance company.

We fear a record number of frostbites this winter, says Torbjørn Brandeggen in Tryg in a press release.

In the survey, more women (68 percent) than men (54 percent) answered that they had turned on the heating in certain rooms. In terms of age, the highest percentage (67 percent) is in the 50 to 59 age group, and the lowest (52 percent) is in the 18 to 29 age group.

– Carelessly

Brandeggen thinks it’s surprising that so many people have actually turned off all the heat in certain rooms, even though he understands that people are trying to save money.

Before taking such drastic steps, you should familiarize yourself with where the water pipes are in the house, behind which walls and in which rooms, and at least make sure there is a calm temperature there to avoid frozen water pipes when the cold comes. In the worst case, it may be negligent to turn off the heat in rooms with plumbing in the event of frost damage that could have been avoided, says a Tryg press release.

Mold and bad indoor climate

Geographically, the highest is in Vestland, with 70 percent saying they have already turned off the heating in some rooms, and the lowest in Troms and Finnmark with only 35 percent.

– We recommend a constant and quiet temperature, preferably above ten degrees, in rooms connected to water pipes. If the room is not very large, a small oven can do this, and small ovens left evenly around the house are better than a large oven that heats several rooms. Also remember that in an unheated room the surfaces get cold, and with moisture, this can lead to condensation which in turn leads to mold and a poor indoor climate, Brandigen says.

Last year, the insurance industry recorded a record 78,453 water damages at a compensation cost of NOK 3.4 billion. An estimated 10 percent of the number of water damage is related to frost.