How to save energy and electricity
Saving energy in the home is good for the climate and your wallet. How can I save energy in my household? Comparis offers tips on saving energy in a rented apartment.
16.12.2022
iStock/AndreyPopov
1. Saving energy at home: calculating your potential savings
At heizkostentest.ch, you can calculate your energy savings potential for your home (not available in English). As a guide: the average energy costs for heating for a renovated property are between 7.50 and 12 francs per square metre.
Electricity bills in Switzerland: what is the average?
A Swiss household spends an average of 1,000 francs per year on electricity costs. However, electricity costs in Switzerland vary greatly depending on the grid operator.
Source: Energie Schweiz
2. How can I save energy on heating?
Heating your home improperly wastes energy. The ideal room temperature lies between 18 and 22 degrees. With each degree lowered, you can save around 6% on heating costs.
Want to leave your bedroom window open at night? Then it’s best to turn off the heating.
Tip: don’t place furniture directly in front of a radiator. Otherwise, warm air can’t circulate freely in the room.
3. How can I optimize lighting?
LED lights are the most energy-efficient. Although they are more expensive than conventional light sources, they are cheaper to run. With the same brightness, LED lamps can save you between 80% and 90% in electricity. Good LED light bulbs should have a lifespan of at least 15,000 operating hours.
Turn off the light when leaving a room. You don’t have to worry about the service life of your LED light bulb: frequent switching on and off has no effect on the service life of a modern LED light bulb.
4. Energy-saving tips for cooking
Water should be heated in a kettle. It’s much faster and uses less electricity. Exception: induction hobs are usually more efficient than a kettle. Use a lid when cooking. This also saves electricity.
Do not preheat the oven. This is not necessary for most dishes and saves up to 20% in energy. Take advantage of the residual heat and turn off the oven for the last five minutes. In addition, using the fan setting is more energy-saving than top and bottom heat.
5. How can I save electricity when washing clothes?
If possible, wash at low temperatures and in eco mode. It takes longer, but saves electricity. Modern washing machines clean clothes even at 30 degrees. Don’t use the tumble dryer and let your laundry air dry.
6. Saving energy: tips for the home
Devices in standby mode consume energy. Switch the devices off completely. The easiest way to do this is to use a power switch or a power strip.
Tip: buy a current meter. This allows you to find out which devices use a lot of power, so you can replace them.
Is your vacuum cleaner broken and are you getting a new one? Be sure to check the energy efficiency of the device. A+++ is the best, while G is the worst category. Although efficient devices usually cost more when they are purchased, they use less electricity.
Find a new home
You can save a lot of energy by moving to a more energy-efficient home. Houses built to the Minergie standard or other new buildings use much less energy. People living in rented apartments also benefit from this.
This article was first published on 16.12.2022
