Use less electricity

Heating indoor air consumes a lot of energy. Reducing the indoor temperature by one degree reduces energy consumption by 5 per cent. Make sure you do not obstruct radiators or heat outlets with furniture; that radiators and outlets are clean of dust; and that radiator valves and thermostats are working properly. Note that these measures will only reduce your electricity costs if you have electric heating, i.e. if you have a heat pump, or direct-acting or waterborne electric heating. If you have another type of heating (district heating, pellets, firewood or similar), these measures will not affect your electricity costs, but they will affect your other energy costs.

Save water

Heating water uses a lot of energy. If you halve the time you run hot water, you also halve your energy consumption. Make sure too that your shower and tap heads are the water-saving type. A modern low-flow tap has a water flow rate of 1-2 litres per minute, and a low-flow shower head 5-7 litres per minute. Note that these measures will only reduce your electricity costs if your water is heated by electricity, i.e. if you have an electric water heater or boiler with heat pump. If you have another type of heating (district heating, pellets, firewood or similar), these measures will not affect your electricity costs, but they will affect your other energy costs.

Watch out for comfort heating

Electric underfloor heating, electric towel rails, fan heaters, electrically heated bathtubs and similar electrically powered heating consume large amounts of energy. If you have to use them, limit their use to times when they are really useful. For example, underfloor heating in a bathroom can be programmed to only heat during morning and evening hours when the bathroom is in use.

Use lighting smartly and efficiently

Switch off lights in unoccupied rooms. Choose moderately bright lamps and switch to modern LED lamps with high luminous efficacy (measured in lumens per watt), especially where you have greatest need for lighting. LED technology is under constant development, and a modern LED lamp uses about one tenth as much energy as a regular light bulb, and one seventh as much as a halogen lamp. An energy-efficient LED lamp has a luminous efficacy of at least 120 lumens/watt (2022).

Wash dishes smartly and efficiently

Wash dishes in the dishwasher rather than by hand and avoid rinsing the dishes beforehand. Fill the dishwasher thoroughly and choose the Eco program. Washing dishes by hand uses up to four times as much energy as washing dishes in a dishwasher.

Wash laundry smartly and efficiently

Fill the washing machine thoroughly and avoid choosing a higher temperature than necessary. Choose the Eco program for low energy consumption and clean laundry.

Avoid the tumble dryer

Tumble dryers use a lot of energy, two to three times more than a washing machine. Hang-drying clothes saves energy and reduces wear and tear on your clothes.

Refrigerate your food properly and maintain your refrigerator and freezer

The colder your refrigerator and freezer and the warmer their surroundings, the more energy they use. A good benchmark is to have +4 degrees Celsius in the refrigerator and -18 degrees Celsius in the freezer. This results in both good food storage and low energy consumption. Defrost the freezer when ice has formed and keep the refrigerator and freezer free of dust on the outside at the rear. Also make sure there is space for air to flow behind and above the refrigerator and freezer in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. A refrigerator or freezer that is unable to cool itself efficiently will use significantly more energy and have a shorter service life.

Ventilate smartly

If you need to ventilate, open your windows, etc., wide, and ventilate for a short time, rather than ventilating a little for a long time. Switch off the thermostats on the radiators in the meantime. If you feel the need to ventilate frequently, make sure your ventilation is working properly. Also take the opportunity to check if it has heat recovery (so-called FTX). If not, you can save a lot of energy by changing over to it.

Avoid standby and inactive chargers

Switch off appliances completely when not in use, and unplug chargers when not in use. This reduces both energy consumption and the risk of fire.