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Now that winter is on its way, one of the focal points of energy consumption where most measures can be taken, is the heating. Not for nothing, half of the energy that we consume in our homes comes from this kind of system. In order to reduce it as much as possible, Experts advise that a temperature of 20ºC is more than enough to maintain the correct level of comfort in your home, that bedrooms do not need to be at the same temperature as the lounge, and can be maintained between 3ºC and 5ºC lower.

With the objective of controlling the temperatures, it is recommendable that you install thermostatic valves on the radiators and programmable thermostats. Both solutions are affordable, easy to implement and can soon pay for themselves, since they achieve an energy saving of between 8% and 13%.

However, that is not all; many other gestures can reduce your energy consumption on heating: do not wait until your system breaks down, good maintenance prevents wasting energy unnecessarily; purge your radiators once a year; draw the curtains and lower the blinds at night  in order to prevent heat from escaping; and air your house when the heating is switched off.

Save hot water

Another of  our weak points is our water consumption, especially hot water. You can be more efficient with small electrical appliances such as low-flow shower heads, which enable you to wash comfortably consuming half the water and, as such, the energy. Other devices which can give a helping hand are water volume reducers, which reduce the amount of water that the tap releases every second, and temperature regulators for the shower, which can save between 4% and 6% in terms of energy consumed. Remember that, if you have cold water and hot water from two separate taps, changing them for a mixer tap will help you to save.

Otherwise, the general recommendations for saving water are well-known: turn off the tap when you are cleaning your teeth or shaving and take a shower instead of a bath, among other things.

Turning off the light and other gestures

In addition to the heating and hot water, the other big domestic energy consumer is household lighting. Trying to be efficient in this area inevitably involves changing traditional light bulbs for low-energy light bulbs. It is true that they are more expensive, but they pay for themselves over time: they last eight times longer and save up to 80% compared to incandescent light bulbs.

However, in addition to light bulbs, you can find low-energy light fittings in the shops. These are electronic light fittings which last longer, consume less energy and can be switched on and off more times than conventional low-energy light fittings. They can be told apart by their weight: conventional ones usually weigh over 400 grammes and electronic ones only weigh 100 grammes. 

Efficient use of electrical appliances

Every electrical appliance comes with an instruction booklet and, tips for maximising its efficiency. For example, washing clothes at low temperatures and not putting hot food in the fridge. Make sure you find out in each case. 

In addition to large domestic appliances, small electric appliances such as the coaster or the computer can play a significant role in saving energy. One of the first steps that you can take is to bring an end to phantom consumption in your home, the energy consumption generated by appliances which are in stand-by mode (red pilot light) or chargers which are plugged in without performing their function. It is calculated that, in total, this cost represents as much as 12% of the electricity bill of a Spanish family.

How to avoid it? Many people recommend using large adaptors with several sockets. That way, if you unplug this device, you also unplug all of the appliances which are connected to it.

 
Related articles:

- Home automation and energy saving

- Passive Energy Savings