At home
… Lighting
• Take maximum advantage of daylight. Walls painted in light colours provide a feeling of greater brightness.
• Do not leave the lights on when the rooms are not occupied.
• Light up what you need to. Excessive lighting yields an uncomfortable atmosphere and unnecessary energy waste. You can install electronic regulators for brightness.
• Low energy bulbs enable to achieve a general saving of 80%. Cutting-edge fluorescent tubes consume 80% less than filament lamps and last up to 10 times more.
• Keep the bulbs and lamps clean. This way, they will last longer and you will get more light.
… Heating and cooling
Thermal insulation is essential to keep the appropriate temperature, as suitable insulation enables to reduce the use of heating in winter and cooling in summer.
Install double glazing and joinery with thermal bridge in windows. It is estimated that 40% of the heating at home is lost through badly insulated windows.
In winter
• Regulators or programmers are suitable for an efficient use of the boiler. An inside temperature between 19-21ºC is enough to achieve a good feeling of comfort. At night, it can be lowered to 16-17ºC.
• Keeping the blinds and the curtains drawn open allows the sunlight in and saves in heating.
• Close heaters in unoccupied rooms and switch off the heating system if you are going to be away from home.
• Install thermostatic valves in heaters. You will regulate the temperature in rooms and save in heating, thus increasing energy efficiency.
• Switch off the heating if you are going to ventilate the house.
• Install efficient boilers or heating systems such as condensing boilers or the low-temperature ones. Air conditioning systems with heat pump of the inverter kind are also very efficient in mild-climate areas.
• Radiant floor heating installations with the contribution of solar thermal panels make up an efficient, economical system for both heating the house.
In summer
• Cooling the rooms at a temperature between 24-26 ºC is enough to reach thermal comfort.
• The use of blinds, curtains and awnings enables to increase indoor comfort and reduce cooling consumption. Draw them first thing in the morning to avoid direct solar radiation and draw them back at night. This action along with the cross-airing of the rooms will yield simple, efficient improvement in your thermal comfort.
• Switch off air-conditioning units when the rooms are unoccupied.
• Switch off the air-conditioning if you are going to open windows.
• It is advisable to use fans instead of air-conditioning systems. This is not only due to the lower number of allergy problems or discomfort derived from the lack of the appropriate maintenance of cooling equipment.
• Install heat pumps of the inverter kind with A++ eco-labelling.
… Sanitary hot water
• Regulate the boiler to produce hot water at a temperature of 41-42 ºC in summer and some 60 ºC in winter..
• The installation of accumulation boilers is more efficient than instant-heating boilers. If this type of boilers is supplemented with solar thermal energy, we will save energy and money.
• When hot water is not to be used, we should open the tap at the cold-water position to avoid unnecessary energy consumption. (Opening the mixer tap in mid-position immediately triggers the operation of the boiler, even if hot water does not reach us immediately).
• A shower consumes between 30-40 litres of water versus 120 litres of a bath. Water saving involves energy saving (for example, the necessary energy for the operation of water pumps).
… Residents’ associations
• Install presence detectors in common areas as hallways or corridors to activate light. This measure can also be applied to the lift so that the lights in the booth are activated only when a neighbour makes use of it.
• Try to use low energy bulbs in common areas.
• Diode bulbs are very useful for ambient lighting, with minimum consumption.
• If changing the lift turns out a necessity, bear in mind that cutting-edge lifts consume up to 60% less than traditional ones.
• The optimization of the contracted electric rate and electricity tariff and the installation of electrical timers, provide significant savings in the community bill.
… Transport
• Public transport is always a more economical, comfortable and sustainable option than using the car. Get informed about the various available options, both at municipal and provincial levels, and make use of them!
• Going on foot or by bicycle is much faster and efficient than going by car for short- and medium-length journeys. Get informed about the availability of bikes for hire in the town you live in.
• If you have to change cars, try that the new one should consume the least possible fuel. Cars of this kind have a green eco-label, classes A, B or C.
• Drive in an efficient way, without bursts of acceleration or sudden breaks, always within the speed limits established.
• If your trips are mainly urban, you can study the purchase of an electric vehicle (bike, motorcycle or car). You will save money and fuel and contribute to a more liveable city.
… Electric appliances and electronic devices
Eco-labelling enables to compare the efficiency of electric appliances with similar features. They are grouped into 7 levels, ranging from A, the most efficient ones, to G, to signal the poorest efficiency level. The use of a G electric appliance versus an A one involves a threefold energy expense. All along its service life, a class A device entails saving worth 800 euros.
Washing machines, dryers and dishwashers
• For an efficient use, the washing machine should be fully loaded unless a half-load option is available.
• Use eco washing/drying programmes (ecological & economical).
Ovens and microwaves
• It is preferable to use convention or hot-air ovens.
• Avoid opening the oven while being operational since every opening involves a drop of 20-30ºC in the inside temperature.
• Cooking with a microwave oven entails energy and time saving.
• Using an induction cooktop may lead to a saving of up to 45% of energy versus a gas conventional one.
Fridges and freezers
• – In electric appliances of this kind, the labelling expands to new categories, A+ and A++. A++ labels are more energy efficient than A+s.
• The ideal temperature ranges from 3 to 5ºC and the freezer one is set at -15ºC.
• Defrost the freezer when the ice layer is wider than 5 mm as from this point consumption increases and performance decreases.
• Keep your fridge open just the indispensable time to pick up the food.
• Defreeze food placing it in the fridge. You will provide the fridge with cold as food is defrosting.
Electronic devices
• Make sure of switching off electronic devices with the button so as to prevent them from remain in stand by as they keep using energy in this state.
ENERGÍAS RENOVABLES
• The sun is a free source of energy, take advantage of it!
• Install solar thermal collectors to produce hot water.
• Consider to incorporate a small photovoltaic installation into your home. You will reduce your energy bill.
• Think on changing your boiler for a more efficient one that consumes a cheaper and less polluting fuel, such as natural gas or biomass.