It is sometimes difficult to reduce your energy consumption without compromising comfort. If undertaking insulation work and investing in a powerful boiler is the ideal solution, it is not the most interesting for tenants. How can you reduce your energy bills at a lower cost? Discover our tips.
1. Adjust the thermostat according to the rooms in your home
If having a well-heated home in winter is important for your comfort, it is possible to reduce your heating consumption by lowering the thermostat when you leave your home for a day, or during the night when you sleep. Reducing the temperature of a single degree makes it possible to save 7% on your heating bill.
When you can, lower the thermostat in some rooms and adjust the temperature according to each place in your home. To prevent heat loss through the windows, you can also leave your shutters and curtains closed when you are away.
> Read also: What is the ideal temperature in each room in winter?
2. Use the eco program of your appliances
Washing machine, dishwasher: often, electronic appliances offer an eco program. The latter is recommended in cases where you do not need special programs (dirty linen or dishes not so dirty for example) and helps to get a significant saving of water. When possible, prefer cold washing. Indeed, 90% of the electricity consumption of a machine is related to the heating of the washing water.
When buying your new appliance, pay close attention to its energy rating by choosing an A +++ machine if possible. An appliance of this type consumes one third, or even two times, less than a A-class appliance. An investment that is more expensive to purchase, but which will prove more profitable in the long term.
Finally, get multifunction devices such as a printer /scanner /copier, or a washing machine /washing machine (rather than a machine for each function). Do not hesitate to inquire about the consumption of each device, and opt for the least energy-consuming. For example, an LCD TV consumes less than a plasma screen, and a laptop consumes 70% less energy than a desktop.
3. Opt for LED bulbs
If the lights in your home still use conventional incandescent bulbs, do not hesitate to replace them with LED bulbs. They have a lifespan up to 25 times higher than traditional bulbs, and most importantly, consume about 80% less electricity.
4. Installing insulation at a low price
It is often said: to reduce energy consumption, the ideal solution is to insulate your home, especially if you live in a cold region. If you can not afford such work at the moment, or you are renting, there are other less expensive and effective ways to limit cold air intake:
- insulate your door sills with rubber gaskets or brush nylon bristles (sold from 3 €). The classic door sock also helps to limit heat loss.
- insulate your windows by adding insulation joints (about ten euros for the most modern PVC windows)
> To read also: Why isolate his attic? Many good reasons to do it
5. Laying heat reflectors behind radiators
Insulation work on walls are usually a large-scale project involving some investment. To limit heat loss through walls, you can opt for a less expensive solution: heat reflectors. They help accelerate the rise in temperature of the room and keep the heat in your home.
The principle is simple: it is foil and expanded polystyrene, varying in thickness (from 3 to 10 mm), which are simply placed behind the radiators so that the heat is reflected on the insulation sheet , instead of heating the wall. Prices range from € 5 (for a single plate) to about twenty euros (for a reflective adhesive film or a reflective panel). Once purchased, installing a heat reflector is easy and fast.
