Energy: eco-friendly steps to take for winter

• Heating represents 50% of energy consumption.
• Ideal temperatures are 21°C during the day and 17°C at night.
• Lower the thermostat to 15°C when you are out.
• If you sleep with the window open, close the door of your bedroom so that you do not cool the whole house down.

• Hot water represents 20% of energy consumption.
• Set your boiler to 60°C, otherwise you have to combine hot and cold water.
• If you decide to check and then change the setting of your boiler, turn the power off first.
• Check the thermal insulation of the boiler: this has a direct effect on electricity consumption.

• Lighting represents 5% to 10% of energy consumption.
• Low energy light bulbs reduce this figure by half. 
• Switch off the lights as soon as they are no longer needed.
• Automatic light switches or timers prevent you from forgetting about a light which has been left on.

• At home
  Open the blinds during the day and close them again when night falls.
  A clothes line in good weather constitutes a 100% energy saving.

• In the kitchen
  Check the seals for the fridge, freezer and oven.
  Clean the coil behind or underneath the fridge twice a year.
  The temperature in the fridge must be set between 2°C and 5°C, and the freezer must be set at -18°C. 
  Only use your dishwasher when it is full and try and use the short cycle.
  Try and wash with lukewarm water and rinse with cold water.
  An oven takes ten minutes to heat up, so it is unnecessary to switch it on half an hour before you need to use it.

• In the bathroom
  A low flow shower head saves up to 15% of hot water consumption, with no noticeable difference to ordinary showers.

Find out more about what you can do to save energy on www.ecowatt-provence-azur.fr