Although we are having a cold winter, especially during these last two weeks, we bring you simple techniques to reduce, among all, the consumption of heating up to 12%. And all without nothing cold at home or work. It is a proposal that, although it seems hard or sacrificed, is actually quite simple and very positive for both our portfolio and the planet.
To make it even more simple and competitive, we can start by doing our challenge in a group, so that we are contributing to a good common cause. Would you aim for the challenge?
This idea was launched by the Prioriterre association a few years ago, based on energy savings through group work. It is called "Challenges for families with positive energy" and proposed the grouping of people who wanted to reduce heating in their homes in groups of ten to exchange ideas, tricks and advice. These groups met periodically to share the most effective tricks in order to significantly lower the heating bill (although it can also be applied to light, gas or water, for example). The idea, as this association explains, is to make this challenge a fun idea, structure and dynamics.
Apparently, the initiative was so successful in France countries that were 500 citizens who signed up and exchanged ideas. All of them have managed to reduce on average 12% of their heating in a month, far exceeding the initial goal of the association, which was 8%.
What Prioriterre did was to create an application or web page where you could measure exactly how much heating - or energy, depending on the type we have - was spent in each house and, from there and as the initiatives were implemented. After a few months of operation, these are the most effective measures to reduce heating (and energy in general) and move toward greater energy sobriety in homes and businesses, as participants have appreciated:
- Decrease the temperature of the water heater.
Maybe we're using our higher temperature heater than we need. Try to regulate until you achieve the optimum.
- Lower the thermostat temperature of the house by half a degree.
Is it cold or hot in your house when the heating is on for a few hours? Sometimes, without realizing it, we have the house warmer than we should, but we do not know how to regulate this temperature efficiently. If the street is very cold and at home we have too much heat, it is much easier, in addition, to fall ill due to the thermal contrasts.
Reduce your heating consumption by 12%
- Insulate the heating pipes of the hydraulic circuit properly.
This depends very much on each heating system, but we can say that a review of it can now make us make sure that it works properly and if we heat it adequately we will be using the heating in a more efficient way.
Reduce your heating consumption by 12%
- Lower the temperature of our radiators when we are away.
According to Prioriterre, we save up to 25% of energy if we get used to lower heating at least 4 degrees each time we are away from home for more than 2 hours. With this fall, the house will still be hot, but we will be saving. Do not forget to also lower it or turn it off 1 hour before bedtime. The heat of the day will keep the house at a suitable temperature.
- Do not cover the radiators.
Although you may have never thought about it, covering the radiators with curtains or furniture makes the circulation of hot air more difficult and limits the activity of thermal rays. The heat provided by a radiator is reduced by up to 20% when heat diffusion is blocked by a piece of furniture or a curtain. Try to leave them all uncovered and your house will warm up sooner.
- Keep radiators clean and free of dust.
Also dust and dirt make it impossible for radiators to give all the heat to your home. Make sure they are always free of dust and will work better.
- Take advantage of solar energy during the day.
The curtains and windows are great insoladores in the houses, so in the colder hours of the day it is convenient that they are blocking the outside cold so that our house is as hot as possible. But it's not too hard to figure out when the hottest hours of the day are, to use it to ventilate and let the sun itself warm our home, giving the heating a rest.