Generally

As the operating costs for heating constitute an important part of the family budget, it is reasonable for the final consumer to have a demand, on the one hand, for satisfactory heating (in duration and quantity) and on the other hand for economical operation. So the problem that must be addressed in the operation of the central heating, concerns the autonomy in its use, so that the consumer has heating at the times he wants and that it is not used recklessly at times when the apartment is closed. The next issue that arises is the fair distribution of heating costs so that the consumer can trust its correct operation and use it without hesitation. But let's look at the situation that prevails today in the Greek reality.

The distribution of heating costs in buildings with more than one ownership and central heating, as applied in our country, presents several peculiarities and in many cases becomes the subject of conflicts and frictions between the tenants. The fact is that in Greek buildings, apart from a few exceptions, the heat consumption is not measured in each property, so the heating expenditure is linked to the actual consumption. Even in modern self-contained constructions using hour meters, the heat consumption is estimated, because the time of use of the heating by the apartment is measured and not the actual amount of heat attributed to it. Thus, the autonomy system creates a sense of a fair distribution of heating costs but has several primary weaknesses, since it presupposes a precise adjustment of the benefits, while it does not take into account the reduced heat output in the properties when partial use of the heating bodies is made (e.g. closed bodies in unused spaces).

In addition, and while autonomous heating systems are treated during the application of the Technical Regulation on the distribution of heating costs (Government Gazette 631/7-11-1985) as systems with heat meters for which the size of the radiators should not be taken into account, in practice it is not possible to replace radiators, since this should lead to a new study of the distribution of heating costs if the ability of the property to receive heat from the central system changes.

The situation is of course even worse in "classic type" heating systems (two-pipe, without autonomy). In this case, there is not only a question of fair distribution of heating costs, but also a question of acceptable use of the system according to the actual needs of the consumers, since this is not available to them when they really need it, while the participation of each property in its costs are independent of the use or not of the system.

In addition to the others, the way heating costs are distributed as is done in Greece, is a substantial disincentive for saving energy in homes, since it does not link the actual heat consumption of each property to the heating cost. If, for example, the cost of heating can be linked to the actual consumption, the consumer will be able to use the radiators at the time and in the places he chooses. This fact is also the philosophy of the Community Directive 93/76/EWG, also known as the SAVE action to limit fuel consumption and exhaust gas emissions through the rational use of energy, which recommends that the member states proceed with the development of the conditions so that to link heating and air conditioning costs to actual consumption.

The solution to the problem of allocating heating costs, in buildings without autonomy, is the use of Heat cost allocators.

Heating cost allocators are the ideal solution for the autonomy of buildings with a two-pipe system. Each tenant chooses when to activate the heating system (using thermostatic heads) and what the desired temperature will be for each room, while at the same time, the heating energy consumed is accurately recorded.