As part of the general interest in saving energy, there are practical tips and tricks to make a house more economical. For example, to lower your bills, find out what steps you can take. These are simple solutions that you can adopt on a daily basis.
Saving on heating
To save energy, you can start with heating. According to the Agence de l'environnement et de la maîtrise de l'énergie, heating is the biggest expense in a house. In fact, heating represents on average 60% of a household's energy expenditure. To save money, there are practical gestures that can be made on a daily basis. Start by managing the temperature of your home. To save energy, consider lowering your radiators by 2 degrees.
You can also use a programmable room thermostat to manage and adjust your temperature at will. For each room, an evaluation is done throughout the day. The results are then available on your smartphone. You can thus decide not to heat a room at a given time when it is empty. You can also program your heating on and off according to your activities, at fixed times. This is very convenient when you leave for work and just before you get home. You can save more than 25% of your energy consumption by turning your heating down before you go to sleep and turning it down or off completely when you are away.
Save energy on lighting
In order to save energy, the use of lighting must be optimised. To do this, start by giving priority to natural light by making openings in all rooms. This saves the use of artificial lighting. For example, opt for bay windows. Also place your strategic furniture (beds, desks, ...) near a window to have natural light for as long as possible. Also think about opening the curtains, or opting for shutters that let the light through. Concerning your behaviour, you must think of turning off all the lights when not in use. Slackness is the source of 25% of a house's energy consumption. When you forget a light, it continues to consume energy.
As for light bulbs, you should use low-energy models. These will allow you to reduce your electricity bill by at least 4 times. To justify their value, be aware that a low-energy bulb lasts longer than standard bulbs. For ambient lighting, opt for LED lamps with halogen bulbs. They consume half the energy of standard lamps. For the bathroom, kitchen and cellar, opt for neon lights. They are similar to low-energy lamps, with a warm light but consume less power.
Carry out the necessary maintenance
Boilers must be maintained regularly to ensure efficiency and your safety. According to studies, proper maintenance can reduce the consumption of the heating system by at least 5%. In summer, you should also consider switching the boiler to hot-only mode. If you have a gas boiler, consider automatic ignition. You should also make sure that your radiators are working properly. Dust should be removed regularly to save up to 10% of the energy consumed. This does not only concern your boilers, but all your household appliances and electronics. Encrusted dust prevents the appliances from working properly, which increases the energy bill.
As far as locations are concerned, remember not to place bulky objects near your radiators. Don't forget to bleed your hydraulic radiators. If they are relatively old, check the condition of the hoses. Check the state of oxidation and the formation of sludge or mineral salts. These considerably reduce the energy performance of your heating system. Also think about checking your insulation system. Whether it is sound or heat insulation, an energy leak can lead to a large increase in your energy bill. To do the check, hire an insulation professional. You can also prevent accidents by maintaining regular maintenance.
Installing renewable energy products
In order to achieve the greatest possible savings, it is recommended to opt for renewable energy installations. Depending on your needs, you can choose to capture energy from the air, the sun, the ground or fossil fuels. These installations not only produce green energy, but also help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There are, for example, installations for heating domestic hot water. Solar panels are commonly used today. They are economical and allow you to produce the amount of energy you need. This solar system combined with a wind turbine, for example, makes it possible to eliminate your consumption of fossil fuels.
By producing your own energy, you contribute to the planet's ecological efforts. Small wind turbines, photovoltaic panels or cogeneration boilers, there are several solutions within your reach. It should be noted that today, EDF is obliged to buy electricity from private individuals who use renewable energy and cogeneration. Alongside these installations, also think about adopting good habits with your household appliances. This consists in avoiding leaving your appliances on standby. You can do this by installing an on/off button. This trick helps to avoid unnecessary energy consumption. It is important to know that some electrical appliances consume less energy when on than when they are in standby mode. This is why this measure is important. As far as your mobile phones are concerned, avoid charging them at night, as you risk leaving them plugged in for too long. A mobile phone usually charges in 2 to 3 hours. If you plug it in at night, it may stay charged for at least 8 hours before you notice it. This is already a lot of power consumption.