Tips for saving energy

Free on-site energy advice

The free basic check from the NRW consumer advice centre is ideal for tenants who want to check their electricity or heating energy consumption or get advice on correct heating and ventilation.

After looking at the heating costs and annual electricity bill, experts scrutinise all household appliances, lamps, televisions and computers, as well as electric water heaters and other electricity consumers. They categorise the level of energy consumption (low – medium – high) from all the data and derive individual savings tips. You will receive the results in a report for you to read.

Make an appointment Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on: 0211 / 33 996 555

Electricity

Switch off the lights
If you do without unnecessary lighting, you can save up to 60 euros a year by switching off the lights when you don't need them. This is often forgotten, especially in corridors and other rarely used rooms. Yet this way of saving electricity is very simple. After all, it even works at the touch of a button.

Switch off appliances
Stand-by does not always mean stand-by. Sometimes appliances also go into sleep, eco or energy-saving mode. However, one thing is always the same: the appliances do not switch off completely, but remain on standby - and therefore also consume electricity. Instead, switch to real energy-saving mode and switch off appliances that are not in use completely or even unplug them from the socket.

Fridge
Food does not need fridge temperatures around freezing point to stay fresh. 7°C is perfectly adequate, keeps milk & co. cool and doesn't put unnecessary strain on the climate or your wallet. Incidentally, -18°C is the optimum temperature for freezers. It is also advisable not to place these appliances directly next to the hob or heater.

Kettle
A whistling kettle may be practical, but it is wasteful. Use a kettle to boil water instead. This can score points with an efficiency of 90 per cent. Heating water on an electric hob, on the other hand, literally vaporises energy. A conventional cooker is only 40 per cent efficient.

Cooking
Always use the right lid when cooking. This keeps the heat where it belongs: In the pot. This has two advantages: Firstly, the food is ready more quickly, and secondly, it saves valuable energy that would otherwise evaporate unused. You should also not switch off the hob when you have finished cooking. Turn the switch to zero a few minutes beforehand. The residual heat is enough to finish cooking.

Dishwashers
Dishwashers use less water than conventional dishwashing. To really benefit from this saving, the machine should only be switched on when it is really full. Fewer wash cycles mean less water and less electricity consumption. The same applies to the washing machine, of course. Put your appliances through their paces and utilise their capacities!

Tumble dryer
If you can't or don't want to do without your tumble dryer, you can at least make its job easier. If you spin the laundry well in the washing machine beforehand and use the energy-saving programmes in the dryer, you can shorten the machine running time and at least keep the dryer's energy consumption on a short leash.

Hot water

Showers and personal hygieneWith low-flow shower heads and flow limiters, hot water is used more efficiently. The easy-to-install technology optimises the water jet without any loss of comfort. Showering for five minutes a day can save around 16,500 litres of water and around 160 euros a year.

Check seals
Seal wide cracks in windows and doors with self-adhesive strips! These are available at any DIY store, don't cost much and are easy to apply even for non-professionals! It is also worth checking the door seals on older fridges and replacing them if necessary - this saves electricity.

Replace old appliances
In the case of water and electricity guzzlers, it is often worth buying a new appliance before the old one gives up the ghost. The high consumption not only makes up for the purchase price. Studies show that the energy required to produce the new appliance is also saved after just a few years. Dishwashers and washing machines in particular have become significantly more efficient in recent years.

Look out for efficiency labels
Even new appliances can have significant differences in water and electricity consumption. Consumers should look out for efficiency labels that provide information on electricity and water consumption. New labels have been in place for dishwashers and washing machines since December 2010. But beware: the old labels with A (instead of A+++) as the highest efficiency class can still be used until the end of 2011. For sanitary facilities such as showers and toilet flushing systems, the ‘WELL’ label of a European manufacturers' association has been in place since March.

Clean dishes and laundry efficiently
Dishwashers and washing machines should be optimally loaded, i.e. usually full. Thanks to modern cold detergents, lower temperatures are usually sufficient for laundry and drastically reduce electricity consumption. For heavily soiled items, it is better to wash for longer rather than hotter. Dirty dishes can be soaked beforehand and most laundry can be pre-treated with gall soap. Most washing machines and dishwashers have water-saving buttons. Laundry and dishes get clean even with a smaller amount of water. This is ensured by a good detergent.

60 degrees is sufficient in the boiler
Generally, hot water does not need to be heated to more than 60 degrees. If you regulate the temperature of the boiler and instantaneous water heater, you can easily save money. If you need a new instantaneous water heater, you should opt for an electronically controlled appliance. This allows the temperature of the water to be precisely controlled.

Heating

Heating costs too high? Test it now - free of charge! ‘I can't possibly have heated that much’ is the frequent reaction of tenants or flat owners after receiving their heating bill. Anyone interested can test on the website of the German Tenants' Association whether their heating costs or energy consumption have increased or are in order. This involves comparing their own consumption and costs with those in their local area. At the same time, tenants are informed about the potential for modernisation and cost savings in the building they live in.

The German Tenants' Association's online heating energy check is operated in co-operation with co2online gemeinnützige GmbH. The heating check is supported by the Federal Ministry for the Environment as part of the climate protection campaign. Further information and the free heating cost check can be found at www.mieterbund.de.

Choose the right room temperature
Every degree less will save you around six per cent on heating costs. 20 degrees is sufficient in the living room and 16 degrees in the bedroom. The temperature can be lowered further at night and during longer periods of absence.

Ventilate efficiently
You should ventilate two to four times a day to prevent mould. The windows should be fully open and not just tilted. The warmer it is outside, the longer you should ventilate. Rule of thumb: If the temperature is below freezing, three to five minutes is sufficient, otherwise ten to 15 minutes.

Windows should not be left permanently tilted. This is where the greatest heat loss occurs unnoticed. Tenants can save up to 200 euros per heating season simply by avoiding permanently tilted windows. This also prevents the rooms and furniture from cooling down.

Keep the heat in the room
After dark, you should close the curtains and lower the shutters. This keeps the heat in the room. Particularly with older windows, the plastic seals become porous and therefore leaky. Replace them or fill the gaps with rubber or foam sealing tape.

Vent radiators
If your radiators make gurgling noises, you should give them a good airing. This is because air in the heating circuit reduces performance. Use a bleeder spanner to let air escape until the valve starts to drip. Tenants can ask the caretaker to do this.

Have the heating system checked regularly
Incorrectly adjusted burners or soot contamination cause unnecessarily high heating bills. In addition to regular maintenance, homeowners should also find out about hydronic balancing. This optimises the settings of the heating system.

Watch out for hidden costs
Ancillary costs usually account for ten to twenty per cent of heating costs – and are often accepted without question. However, the costs for meter reading, maintenance and operating current for the heating are often too high. A heating survey from www.heizspiegel.de, which is currently available free of charge, can help you check this.

Ensuring transparency
Saving energy is much easier if you have an overview of your consumption. The energy savings account is a practical tool for this. The free online ‘household logbook’ at www.energiesparcup.biz analyses your consumption, identifies potential savings and documents energy-saving successes.

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