Bills: how to avoid power and gas price variations

Just a few simple actions can save you up to 15% energy per year*, without drastically changing your daily habits. Here are some examples:

• Finish the last ten minutes of cooking with the oven switched off (-1.5% consumption per year);

• Avoid standby mode for TVs, set-top boxes and consoles, and do not leave power supplies plugged in (-0.5% annual consumption): in Europe, the average consumption of appliances in standby mode is about 305 kWh per household per year (11% of total consumption). Global standby consumption causes 1% of total CO2 emissions. According to the International Energy Agency, by 2030, 15% of electricity consumption in Europe will be due to the standby function of appliances. To give a concrete example, consider that the standby consumption of a TV set with one or two connected devices (decoder, console, etc.) can vary from 13 to 50 KWh per year. The switch-on light of a PC monitor alone can consume 10 KWh/year or more;

• Use washing machines and dishwashers only when fully loaded (1 washing machine every 2 days instead of 1 per day= -5% annual consumption; 1 dishwasher per day instead of 2= -8% annual consumption);

• Unplug power supplies from power sockets when not in use;

• Don't forget to defrost the fridge and freezer as soon as ice starts to appear;

• It preserves the optimum temperature achieved by avoiding dispersion.

Lighting is another component that has the greatest impact on energy consumption, and consequently, results in an increase in the total amount to be paid in the bill.

To make your home lighting more efficient, you can follow these simple tips:

• Switch off switches when not strictly necessary;

• Ditch the halogen bulbs: LED bulbs are eco-friendly, last longer and consume less energy;

• Choose bulb types with care: always prefer one bulb with higher wattage instead of two small bulbs. A 100 watt bulb consumes less than two 60 watt bulbs;

• Choose the lighting of the various rooms carefully; bedrooms tend not to need much lighting. In the kitchen, you can choose to focus lighting on the cooking area

• Clean bulbs regularly: dust creates a dull layer that reduces the efficiency of the bulbs, but the electrical energy used remains the same.

Heating in the home is another element that can be optimised by eliminating unconscious behaviour that leads us to over-consume and waste heat. We recommend you read the 10 tips to save on heatingsuggested by ENEA - Agenzia Nazionale Efficienza Energetica (National Energy Efficiency Agency):

• Control room temperatures: excessively high temperatures are not good for our health and also subject us to unnecessarily high costs. The National Natural Gas Consumption Containment Plan for winter 2022/2023, drawn up by the Ministry of Ecological Transition, envisages an indoor temperature of 19°C with a tolerance of + 2°C. The internal temperature must be between 17 and 21°C.

• Manage switch-on times: there are operating limits set by legislation and in particular by the National Plan for Containment of Natural Gas Consumption for winter 2022/2023. Italy is divided into 6 Zones:- Zone A (e.g. Lampedusa): 5 hours daily from 8 December to 7 March;
  - Zone B (e.g. Catania and Palermo): 7 hours daily from 8 December to 23 March;
  - Zone C (e.g. Bari, Naples and Cagliari): 9 hours daily from 22 November to 23 March;
  - Zone D (e.g. Rome, Florence, Savona and Pescara): 11 hours daily from 8 November to 7 April;
  - Zone E (e.g. L'Aquila, Milan, Turin, Udine and Venice): 13 hours daily from 22 October to 7 April;
  - Zone F (e.g. Belluno and Cuneo): no restrictions.

• Installing reflective panels: a simple and effective solution that helps reduce energy consumption. Reflective panels, placed between the radiator and the rear wall, allow less heat to be lost to the outside, as the panel will help to reflect it back into the room.

• Shading windows at night: it is good to add shades to window frames to prevent both heat loss and cold from entering. Shades can consist of shutters and blinds, tightly closed, or heavy curtains.

• Avoid obstacles in front of radiators: it may sound trivial, but there should be no obstacles in front of radiators so that heat can radiate throughout the room. Using them as clothes dryers should also be avoided.

*All data given for the consumption calculation are taken from the ENEA Paper May 2022. The parameters are measured on the typical behaviour of a household with an average electricity consumption of 2,300 kWh/a.