Heat the human not the home

Heating your entire home while you work from a single room is one of the least efficient things you can do for your energy bill and your carbon footprint. But there's a simple alternative that most people haven't seriously considered: heat yourself, not the space around you.

Personal heating devices like heated gilets, gloves, and blankets use a fraction of the energy of even a small electric radiator. The numbers make a compelling case, and this post breaks them down.

Tim Maiden Geen Business Founder & Director

Author | Tim Maiden

Reading Time - 1 min

A simple way to save energy and cut carbon when working from home

During the colder months, many of us start thinking about how to stay warm at home without driving up energy bills or increasing our carbon footprint. One simple, effective idea that's gaining traction is the concept of heating the human, not the home.

Personal heating devices like heated gilets, gloves, footbeds, and blankets are incredibly energy-efficient alternatives to heating entire rooms or houses. By focusing on keeping yourself warm, you can significantly reduce the energy you use while staying cosy in colder spaces.

Tim recently crunched the numbers, and the results are eye-opening. Here's how the carbon impact of three different heating options compares over a typical six-month winter period:

Heating an entire home: 1,733 kWh used, resulting in 317 kg CO₂e emissions.
Heating a small room with an electric radiator: 787.5 kWh used, producing 183 kg CO₂e.
Using a heated gilet: just 23.3 kWh used, with only 5.4 kg CO₂e emissions.

That's a 97% reduction compared to heating a small room and a 99% reduction compared to heating the whole house. The savings are not just in carbon but in cost too, with personal heating devices being much cheaper to run.

It's important to note that maintaining a healthy temperature in your home is still crucial, particularly to avoid dampness and to keep your space comfortable. But when you're working alone, the principle of heating the human, not the home is highly effective in reducing energy use while staying warm.

Personal heating doesn't mean sacrificing comfort either. Tim has found that on all but the coldest days, his heated gilet is all he needs when working from home - keeping him warm at his desk while reducing energy consumption.

We believe the value of these devices is underestimated, particularly in the effort to reduce carbon emissions and tackle fuel poverty. By focusing on heating ourselves, rather than large spaces, we can save energy, cut costs, and reduce our environmental impact - all without freezing through the winter.