7. Extra tips for holidays and emergencies

Don’t turn off the fuses before you go on holiday to save electricity; when you return, a defrosted freezer or switched-off alarm system can cause unpleasant surprises. In the event of a power cut, a battery-powered radio will keep you informed. Mobile phones, laptops and PCs are useless if the communication networks fail.

Save energy

Good advice doesn’t have to be expensive

Use energy wisely

Saving energy benefits the environment and your wallet. We also work as energy efficiently as possible and thus make a daily contribution to climate protection. Our energy advisers will be happy to inform you free of charge about possible energysaving measures.

7 simple tips for saving electricity

Save electricity

Write down the electricity meter reading every day for a fortnight, around the same time, and calculate the daily consumption. This way you can also check the success of your measures in saving electricity.

Defrost the refrigerator regularly: for every centimetre of ice layer, electricity consumption increases by 15 %.
In particular, do not leave the fridge door open for long.
It pays to check the temperature: 7°C in the refrigerator and –18°C in the freezer are sufficient.
Do not preheat the oven. Five minutes before the end of cooking time, turn the temperature down to 0. Use convection heat instead of top and bottom heat and set the temperature 20 to 30°C lower.
Heat small quantities and dishes in the microwave.
Heat water for boiling in a kettle instead of a pot. Measure out the quantity beforehand and boil with a lid.
Only use the dishwasher when it is full. The same amount of water and energy is always used.

Unplug mobile phone chargers and plugs for laptops, TVs and game consoles after use.
Halogen and incandescent light bulbs are real energy guzzlers; please dispose of them! Replace older energysaving lamps with LEDs.
Switch routers to snooze mode.
Summer tip: air conditioners require a lot of electricity. It is best to ventilate at night, close windows during the day and darken rooms.
A fan can provide a cool breeze when working from home.

A hairdryer consumes a lot of energy. Simply letting your hair air-dry saves electricity.
Only put an electric toothbrush in the charging station when needed.
Reduce the temperature of instantaneous water heaters; the preset 39°C is sufficient for showers, 55°C in the kitchen.
Only switch on electric water heaters when hot water is needed. This saves standby losses.
When washing laundry, avoid pre- and short-wash programs and use the Eco program. The lower the washing temperature, the lower the electricity consumption: switch from 60 to 40°C and you will save about half the electricity – at 30°C even two-thirds.
Use a clothes line or drying rack for drying when the weather is good. In winter, an energy-saving tumble dryer is more economical.

Idle power losses occur in many appliances – for instance, satellite receivers, plug-in power supplies, answering machines, cordless telephones, computers, DVD recorders, DVB-T receivers and DSL routers. If possible, disconnect these devices from the mains when not in use.

When buying a new appliance, look at the consumption data or EU labels with energy efficiency class A. Calculated over the total lifetime of an appliance, the resulting electricity costs are often higher than the purchase price.

Don’t turn off the fuses before you go on holiday to save electricity; when you return, a defrosted freezer or switched-off alarm system can cause unpleasant surprises.
In the event of a power cut, a battery-powered radio will keep you informed. Mobile phones, laptops and PCs are useless if the communication networks fail.

12 simple tips for saving energy

Save natural gas

Saving starts when you take a critical look at your consumption. Do you know right away how high your energy consumption is? Take a close look at your energy bill. Even if it takes time, it’s worth it!

If the heating system is outside the living area or in unused rooms such as the boiler room, the boiler, water heater and heating and hot water pipes should be insulated. By the way, you can insulate pipes yourself at low cost. A visit to the DIY store is worthwhile!

Closed roller shutters and curtains reduce heat loss through windows. Insulated radiator niches save up to 4 % on heating costs.

Some people like it hot and are surprised later about high heating costs. For every degree less in room temperature, you save around 6 % in heating costs.

Have your heating system serviced regularly, as this saves up to 15 % energy – and increases operational reliability. Cleaning and venting the radiators at the beginning of the heating season also saves money.

Do your radiators heat unevenly? Then hydraulic balancing of the heating system may help. This can reduce energy consumption by up to 15 %. The federal government subsidises one-fifth of the costs for private households.

Panelling in front of radiators prevents heat from spreading through the room. Curtains, misplaced furniture or towels laid out to dry absorb up to 20 % of the heat.

With water flow limiters, hot water costs can easily be reduced by up to 30 % without sacrificing comfort.

At night, a room temperature of 16 to 18°C is sufficient in living quarters. This easily saves 10 to 20 % energy. Use the ‘night setback’ of the heating even if you are absent for a longer period of time.

A modern condensing boiler uses up to 30 % less energy – even significantly less when combined with solar thermal technology.

The energy and water costs for a full bath are about three times higher than for a shower.

Fresh air is crucial for a healthy indoor climate. The best way to air a room is to ‘shock- or cross-ventilate’; windows that are constantly tilted increase heating costs unnecessarily. During the heating season, you should ventilate four times a day for about five minutes – and briefly after showering and cooking. And close the thermostatic valves on the radiators while airing!

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