Last updated: August 2026
Most people learned to run a house in buildings that leaked heat. Heating on hard. Windows opened to clear steam. Radiators expected to feel hot. A highly insulated, airtight home works differently. The first winter is mostly about learning one thing: stop fighting the house and let it work as designed.
Keep the heating steady
With a heat pump, constant temperature usually works better than short bursts of heat. Set a comfortable temperature and avoid constantly changing the thermostat. A small night-time setback is fine, but letting the house cool significantly and then reheating it every morning usually makes little sense in a well-insulated home. Think steady, not hot.
Leave the ventilation alone
Your home still needs fresh air. It just gets it through a designed ventilation system instead of draughts. Fresh air is supplied to living spaces while moisture and stale air are removed from kitchens and bathrooms. Where heat recovery is installed, much of the heat from the outgoing air is recovered before it leaves the house. So don’t switch the ventilation off or block the vents to “keep the heat in”. You can still open a window whenever you want. You simply should not need to open one to keep the house dry.
Move electricity to cheaper hours
If you have a night-rate or time-of-use tariff, use it. Schedule things like:
- hot water;
- dishwasher;
- washing machine;
- battery charging.
If you have solar PV and a battery, the system can also store daytime generation and use it later. This is where smart controls are useful. The goal is not to spend your evening managing energy. The goal is to let the house do it automatically.
Warm radiators are normal
A heat-pump radiator often feels warm rather than hot. That is not a fault. Heat pumps work efficiently at lower water temperatures, and a well-insulated house does not need extremely hot radiators to stay comfortable. If the room is at the right temperature, the system is working. Comfort matters. Radiator temperature does not.
Stop adjusting everything
This is probably the hardest habit to break. In an older house, you constantly react to temperature changes. In a high-performance home, the building temperature changes much more slowly. Give the heating and ventilation systems time to settle before changing settings again. Small adjustments work better than constant intervention.
What you’ll notice by February
Less drama. Fewer cold corners. More even temperatures. Less condensation. Less need to constantly touch the heating controls. And, if the systems are set up correctly, significantly less wasted energy. A good efficient home should not feel complicated. It should feel boringly comfortable. That is the point.
Frequently asked questions
Should I turn the heat pump off at night?
Usually no. A modest temperature setback is fine, but repeatedly allowing the house to cool and then reheating it is generally not the best way to run a heat pump.
Do I need to open windows?
Not for everyday ventilation. The ventilation system handles normal air quality and moisture control. But open them whenever you want fresh outside air.
Why are my radiators only warm?
Because heat pumps typically operate at lower temperatures than traditional boilers. If the room is comfortable, everything is working as intended.
What is the biggest adjustment?
Learning to interfere less. Set it correctly. Let it run. Make small adjustments when needed. That is usually all an efficient home asks from you.