Best practices for optimising my energy consumption

I can save a lot of energy through my everyday behaviour. Every action counts, no matter how small: for example, I can always maintain an ideal room temperature with the help of thermostatic valves on my radiators, avoid overheating my home or ensure regular and proper ventilation. By following certain rules, I do not need to sacrifice my own comfort and can create a healthy and pleasant home environment.

 

 

Being conscientious

I adopt climate-conscious behaviours because climate change and the energy crisis affect us all. Everything we do counts: together we can make a difference and build a more sustainable future.

 

Producing and storing energy in large quantities is unfortunately impossible. Energy crises and shortages threaten our convenience and consumption.

 

It is up to all of us to be proactive and to reduce our electricity consumption as much as we can.

 

 

Consuming less energy and reducing my costs

There are on average one hundred electrical and electronic appliances in a household. Wastage, excessive use of gadgets and lack of maintenance all add to my bill.

 

 

Reducing my heating needs

Heating accounts for a large proportion of the energy I consume. Through overheating and incorrect ventilation, for example because I leave windows open for too long, I’m pouring money down the drain. By taking a few simple steps and being more aware of my consumption, I can significantly reduce my costs.

As a rule of thumb, I can save 6% of my heating needs for every degree of temperature I save.

Room	Ideal temperature in degree Celsius
Living room	20 °
Bedroom	17-18 °
Bathroom	22-23 °

If I only use my bathroom in the morning and evening, I set the thermostatic valve so that it is always pleasantly warm when I use it – and only then.

 

Digital thermostats can now be used remotely, so I can preheat my house using my smartphone before I get home.

 

Radiators should not be covered or hidden by furniture so that warm air can circulate easily in the room.

 

I also regularly have my heating system inspected by an expert, as this can provide indications regarding my consumption. The Environmental Agency has introduced an energy assessment of home heating systems, called "Heizungscheck". During this one-off inspection by a professional, you will receive a complete analysis of your boiler and recommendations for improving the energy efficiency of your heating system. Find out everything you need to know on heizungscheck.lu ! 

 

I can also benefit from a thermography inspection of my home. This allows to identify any potential issues in my house as well as sources of energy loss, so that I can take targeted measures to remedy them.

 

 

Better ventilation

Very often people air a room by leaving the window tilted for a period of time. However, a much more efficient method to air a room is to open the windows wide for only a few minutes, creating a current of air across the room. Cross-ventilation allows a rapid exchange of air without much heat loss, whilst also improving air quality.

 

If I leave my windows tilted, I have to keep them open for much longer to achieve the same effect. This results in a greater loss of energy.

 

At night, it is also advisable to lower the shutters to avoid any further heat loss.

 

 

My electricity consumption

In addition to controlling my heating, a number of simple measures help me reduce my electricity consumption and keep my electricity consumption under control:

• Using LED bulbs
• Not leaving lights on unnecessarily
• Fully turning off appliances, including my computer
• Opting for eco programmes when using household appliances
• Checking the energy class labels when buying new appliances
• Insulating my heating and hot water pipes
• Using power strips with a switch

And to find out which energy supplier best suits my needs, I can compare their offers on calculix.lu ! 

Speaking of energy consumption, another interesting website you might consider visiting is oekotopten.lu, a digital guide adapted for the Luxembourgish market where you can directly compare a range of electric appliances, cars, smartphones, heating systems and much more. Beyond energy efficiency, it also informs on various other criteria, so that you may find the article that best fits your needs.

 

 

Home insulation

Et surtout j’ai prévu d’améliorer l’isolation de mon logement.

 

 

Reducing my energy consumption and my ecological footprint

Why should I reduce my energy consumption and ecological footprint?

 

The man-made climate crisis is the defining issue of our century. One of the solutions to the climate crisis is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to slow down global warming and reduce the impact on the environment. Fossil fuels (coal, gas, but also the oil in our cars) are responsible for a large proportion of CO₂ emissions. By using electricity, gas and oil on a daily basis, we are contributing to global warming. Fossil fuels also emit fine particles and pollute the atmosphere, which affects our health.

 

Even so-called "decarbonated" energies such as nuclear power can have a significant impact on the environment. Generating nuclear energy consumes large amounts of water and nuclear power plants produce radioactive waste. Generating energy always has an impact on our planet.

 

One logical solution to limiting the damage to our ecosystem is therefore to save energy, in addition to switching to cleaner and renewable energies. The most environmentally-friendly energy is the energy that is not consumed. If each one of us significantly reduces their energy consumption, less energy will have to be produced. This allows us to combat global warming and air pollution.

 

It is up to us: each one of us can act by insulating our homes and reducing our energy consumption - and also our bills.

 

Together we can take climate action and contribute to a successful energy transition.