With a winter that looks to be difficult, at least in financial terms, it is absolutely natural to wonder how to save on energy costs.
One of the consequences of the war between Russia-Ukraine, which unfortunately, seems to have no end in sight, is that the prices of raw materials is being kept very high - gas first and foremost.
For many Italian families, this means much higher gas bills but also higher electricity bills.
Saving energy is now a pressing subject.
We have included ten tips to save on electricity and gas this winter.
Use economy mode to wash clothes and dishes
The washing machine and dishwasher are the two domestic appliances that require higher use of electricity. This means they should be used with a certain amount of care and attention.
Above all, they should both be used with a full load, to cut down on the total number of wash cycles and therefore, electricity.
Moreover, the set temperature also makes a difference: avoid using high temperature settings.
For dishwashers, it is also a good idea to prewash under the tap, since this means the dishwasher can be more efficient in less time.
Other domestic appliances that use a lot of energy include the oven - avoid opening the oven while food is cooking since this loses heat; the iron - which should be kept clean to prevent the formation of scale that can affect performance.
Stop using standby and other ways of wasting electricity
A particularly wasteful mode in terms of energy use is the stand by function on a whole series of appliances, particularly the television or personal computer.
Using a trailing socket with switch can help with this, making it easier to switch off appliances and therefore, to avoid wasting electricity.
You should also look at other domestic appliances, which need power 24 hours a day.
Never fill the fridge more than necessary, since this means it needs to work harder (and therefore, use more power) to keep food at the required temperature.
In winter, lots of food can be kept outside, making the most of ambient temperature.
Modern domestic appliances
The latest generation of domestic appliances are probably a more expensive choice at the start, but it does pay for itself over time.
It is always better to have modern domestic appliances with an energy rating of at least A++.
Their technology also makes it possible to save time because they use less electricity when working at full capacity, guaranteeing excellent performance.
LED bulbs
Even simple room lighting involves large-scale use of electricity and therefore, should be used with care.
Of course, this also means not leaving lights on in rooms that are not being used.
Another excellent way to save energy, especially in winter, is to use low-energy LED bulbs.
From this viewpoint, savings can be significant - even hundreds of euros if we consider a whole year - without forgetting that LED lamps last longer than traditional ones.
Maintenance
Maintenance is essential systems and devices that use electricity as well as those used for gas heating.
Never forget your systems need to be maintained correctly.
Incorrectly operating domestic appliances can in fact lead to higher electricity consumption and the same applies to heating systems.
As far as boilers are concerned, annual cleaning is necessary before winter starts, to prevent malfunctions and higher gas use than is actually necessary.
This is necessary to prevent nasty surprises coming along later.
Careful use of hot water
A boiler needs to work to make hot water, using and consuming gas or other fuels.
We often use more hot water than we need to and perhaps at the same time, we have the temperature setting too high.
Hot water temperature settings should never be higher than 45°. This heat guarantees wellness and avoids wasting resources.
Moreover, it is necessary to use the least amount of hot water possible, reducing the duration of showers or allowing water to run, for example when cleaning teeth.
Home insulation
To save energy in the home during the winter, it is not sufficient to reduce electricity and gas consumption also necessary to avoid wasting energy.
Home insulation is also essential, paying attention to any draughts above all from doors and windows.
The average draught can lead to the waste of up to 25% of heat produced to take the room temperature up to the required level.
Generally speaking, a home should have external insulation in the outermost parts, such as roof and walls, to prevent heat waste.
On a simpler level, the condition of doors and windows is also important.
We recommend double glazed windows, with frames in aluminium or PVC for doors and windows since these do not allow any loss of heat to the outside, and they also prevent the cold from entering.
Lowering the temperature by 1 degree
One solution proposed at national level, for all public offices, has been to lower the temperature inside the room from the normal 20° to 19°.
Reducing the temperature by one degree, applied on national scale, could save billions of euros on energy costs.
What is more, lowering the temperature by a single degree does not cause any problem in terms of living comfort and can even be said to be healthier because an overly high temperature in the home can cause the spread of bacteria, micro organisms, mould and dust mites, which can lead to illness or trigger allergies.
New boiler
If you want to make a long-term investment in your heating, then it is worth considering installing a more modern condensing boiler or heat pump.
These are two devices to allow notable savings in terms of gas use (the heat pump works on electricity) because they are also able to transform the heat they produce into new energy to use.
In condensing boilers, the fumes and vapour produced by burning gas are recycled and produce more heat, which means that the boiler does not need to keep using fuel from the main system.
This is a safe way to save on gas bills through the winter and it also pollutes less than a traditional gas boiler.
Installing a smart heating system
Another excellent way to save on heating in the winter is, regardless of the home system, to use a smart heating system such as IRSAP NOW, which helps to limit energy use without affecting your living comfort.
The IRSAP NOW smart system is above all multizone, meaning it is able to set different temperatures in different rooms, according to the habits of those who use them.
Thanks to its advanced functions, the smart thermostat learns from the behaviour of the people living in the house and with its Green mode, switches off the system half an hour before the time set in order to save energy without missing out on comfort.
The whole system can also be controlled remotely, using the IRSAP NOW app, which interacts with the system.
When smart thermovalves are fitted in every area, there is total control in every room.
Smart thermostatic valves have special sensors that can detect when windows are open, which could lead to the heating system having to work much harder, with resulting gas waste.
Technology and careful use guarantee savings
We have seen how in winter, it is possible to save energy acting in two directions.
Generally, we should all avoid distractions and wasted resources.
However as well as this, a significant help comes from technology in the form of more modern, better-performing equipment, but also of systems such as IRSAP NOW that guarantee excellent savings when it comes to bills.
