What are the right steps to conserve energy? Getty Images:
Between water or temperature control, good reflexes, and power tools, here are the everyday activities that can lower your bill… and the impact.
Energy engineer and co-founder of the négaWatt Institute, Olivier Seidler, is a French specialist in energy management. According to him, there are two levers to reduce consumption at home: “sobriety, that is, a change in behavior that costs nothing, and efficiency, which requires investment.” Obviously, you have to do both to meet environmental challenges; get to work.
Insulate the house
When you can do this, it’s the #1 solution to lowering your heating bill. “A complete and efficient home renovation is the first step and without a doubt the most important,” assures Olivier Seidler. Done well, it cuts heating consumption in half. For advice, we go to France Rénov’, a public home renovation service.
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Set the heating to 19°C
On average, our houses are heated up to 21°C. it’s too much. “One degree less allows you to save 8 to 16%, depending on the type of heating,” explains Enertech measurement technology expert Michael Gernevel. He recommends heating to 19°C, even if that means adjusting the temperature by room; it is good to maintain 20°C in the living room, provided you raise it to 17°C in the bedrooms. To look at the temperature objectively, we install a thermostat. if I’m cold, but it’s 19°C, I put on a sweater instead of turning on the heating.
Restrict water flow
Domestic hot water accounts for 20% of a home’s energy consumption. Of course, there are showers and bathtubs, but also all the small expenses in the kitchen: washing hands, washing dishes… To limit the volume of water used, we install an aerator on the taps; these small parts are pressed directly onto the water. outlet, reduce the flow and send the air at the same time as the water. Change your shower head during the shower for a more economical shower. By equipping the whole house in this way, we reduce water consumption by about 15%.
Isolate the water heater
A water heater loses up to a third of its efficiency due to heat exchange with the outside. To minimize losses, we surround it with insulating covers, which can be purchased at any DIY store. The same goes for pipes if we have access to them. And no overheating. We set the water heater to 50°C, or even 55°C, but no more.
Turn off connected devices
Leaving an internet box or TV on when not in use is wrong. they consume as much as a refrigerator. They must be completely disconnected using a programmable outlet or a controlled outlet. The same goes for gaming consoles, which are often connected and constantly updated.
Use household appliances correctly
A fridge and freezer will be energy efficient if they are not too cold. the freezer at 4°C and the freezer at -18°C, that’s enough, especially when you defrost them regularly. As for the dishwasher, we use the eco program (or 50°C) as much as possible, which consumes 45% less electricity than the intensive program. The same applies to the washing machine. you only wash when the machine is full and most often at 30°C. This consumes three times less than the 90°C program.
Source: Le Figaro
