La Energy Efficiency it is one of those terms that have become commonplace. We know that it is important for saving in the family economy. But the message we want to convey to you is that, above all, it is important for the planet, because we will use energy in a smarter, more sustainable and efficient way.
So that you have a reference data, we will tell you that the International Energy Agency (IEA), of which Spain is a part, calculates that Only with efficient use of energy can 40% of the necessary emissions be reduced. We give you 10 tips, tools and recommendations for you to put energy efficiency into practice in your home.
Basic recommendations to get an efficient house
Several years some basic recommendations circulate on the Internet, that we have all followed, for example changing the light bulbs in the house for low consumption ones, setting the heating temperature in winter, and the air conditioning in summer. Surely your children at school have learned others, and here have more.
- Use power strips. We know that turning off appliances instead of leaving them on standby saves around 10% annually, according to the OCU. If you have strips they are especially useful, when you turn them off, you turn off all the appliances that are plugged in.
- Efficient kitchen. If you have the oven on, look through the glass before opening and closing it, or control the time well by setting an alarm. If it turn off a few minutes before the end of cooking, the residual heat will finish making the food.
- Replace your appliances. Not every month we buy a washing machine or a refrigerator, but when you have to replace yours, look for the most efficient ones to save energy. In this sense, since last March 1, the new energy efficient marker labels for the entire European Union.
4 gestures in favor of energy efficiency
There are a few simple gestures that you can instill at home that don't take a lot of effort. The Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) incorporated into these recommendations the savings value that they also had in euros, and so we transfer them to you. You'll see how easy they are to assimilate.
- Si you turn off the light when you leave a roomEven if you go to the bathroom and then come back, it can save an average of 25% in energy consumption. Translated into euros, it can be about 16 euros a year.
- Make the most of natural lighting by opening blinds and curtains wide. It is also a good idea put study tables near the window. It also saves about 25% of the energy we use.
- Do not wash in hot water. The washing machine uses more energy to heat the water than to wash. Choose programs at a low temperature, 40 ° C or less. This way you will consume 40% less electricity.
- Saving leftover food is a good idea, but do not put them hot in the fridge and, much less, in the freezer. Not only because they go too abruptly from one state to another, but because each degree Celsius more means 5% more energy consumption.
Families have more energy capacity than it seems. In fact, the Institute for Energy Diversification (IDAE) attributes to Spanish families around 36% of the total final energy consumption in the country.
Tips for efficient families
If you want to take energy efficiency beyond your home, you can take it out onto the streets, in the way you travel with your children, in the education you give them, and in your own work.
- Performs sustainable travel. Think about your daily trips and those you do with your children, and do them in the most sustainable way possible: on foot, by bicycle, on a non-electric scooter ...
- If you use the car, you can also make a Efficient driving: with high gears, without revving the engine, at moderate speed, use gear reduction instead of the brakes ...
- Pleasure sustainable tourism. When choosing a destination, incorporate concepts such as the means of transport you use, the places to spend the night, or the destination itself.
These are some examples of familiar measures that, applied on a large scale, permanently move us away from global warming. Thanks to them, and others, we can increase our energy efficiency.