Energy-conscious Living: Tips for Efficient Heating, Ventilation, and Everyday Power Savings

Discover simple ways to reduce energy costs and make your living space more efficient! In our article, we provide tips for economical heating, proper ventilation, and energy-saving habits in daily life. Small changes can lead to significant savings – join us and learn more!

Proper Heating: Economical heating behavior can be achieved primarily by considering the following two aspects: Venting the radiators and lowering the room temperature.

One of the simplest measures to save heating costs is the regular venting of radiators. When there is air in the heating system, unnecessary energy is wasted. This is evident from gurgling sounds in the radiators and inadequate heat development despite a turned-up thermostat. Manual venting can result in annual savings of €35 (in rental apartments) up to €65 (in single-family houses).

Lowering Room Temperature: As a rule of thumb, every degree less equals an energy savings of 6 percent. Additionally, the following points should be considered:

– The appropriate temperature for each room,
– The correct setting on the thermostat.

Guideline values for room temperatures are: 20 degrees Celsius in the living room, 18 to 20 degrees in the kitchen, 23 degrees in the bathroom, 20 to 22 degrees in children’s and work rooms, and 16 to 18 degrees in the bedroom. The hallway should be heated the least, at 16 degrees.

2. Proper Ventilation: Effective ventilation not only ensures fresh air but also prevents mold formation. Tenants are legally obliged to ventilate their living spaces adequately. But what does “adequate” mean in this context?

Ensure that a complete air exchange occurs 3 to 4 times a day in all living spaces, achieved through intermittent ventilation. Ideally, opposite windows should be fully opened to allow a draft through all rooms.

The optimal duration of intermittent ventilation varies between 5 and 30 minutes depending on the season. In winter months (December to February), ventilation should be limited to about 5 minutes to prevent room cooling. In summer (June to August), 30 minutes is appropriate, while in transitional seasons, ventilation should last between 10 and 20 minutes depending on the outside temperature.

3. Seal Windows and Doors.
4. Shower Instead of Bathing: The average water consumption when showering is about 70 liters, while a bathtub takes in 150 to 200 liters of water. Therefore, it is worthwhile both in terms of energy consumption and financially to refrain from bathing more frequently.

5. Use of Energy-Efficient Devices: Energy-efficient devices are recognizable by the EU Energy Label 2021, which distinguishes seven energy efficiency classes from A (best) to G (worst). The color marking from green (very good) to red (very poor) facilitates selection.

6. Conscious Handling of Electronic Devices: Turn off all unnecessary devices, such as TVs and sockets.
7. Proper Lighting: A conscious approach to lighting offers significant potential for saving electricity. Turn off the lights when leaving the room to avoid unnecessary energy consumption. Illuminate only the rooms where light is actually needed. Consider the use of motion detectors in less frequented areas. Choosing the right light bulbs and lamps also contributes to reducing energy consumption without the need for additional measures.

Disclaimer: Photo was created using AI (Firefly Adobe).”