How to Reduce Your Energy Bill?
Mastering energy consumption has become essential, both from an environmental and an economic perspective. Heating accounts for a significant portion of French households' energy consumption, averaging 67%, and hot water production 10%. While some daily habits can help limit consumption, virtuous practices alone do not significantly reduce your energy bill. Undertaking thermal insulation work is also a better solution to save energy. How can you effectively optimize your energy bill? Find out the details in this article.
Perform Thermal Insulation Work to Reduce Your Energy Bill
Insulation work involves renovating energy by treating thermal bridges. These define spaces on the walls of your home that allow external air to enter, causing heat loss.
Wall Insulation Work
25% of heat loss in a poorly insulated house comes from the walls. There are two solutions to address this waste:
- Interior wall insulation involves placing insulation (usually panels) on the interior side of the structure. This technique is widespread because it is more affordable and easier to implement.
- Exterior wall insulation, on the other hand, involves installing insulating panels on the exterior walls of your home. It is usually done during a facade renovation. It is more expensive but eliminates thermal bridges more effectively.
By strengthening the thermal insulation of your home's walls, you can make considerable heating savings. Indeed, thermal insulation can reduce your annual energy bills by about 20% to 25%. It improves occupants' comfort by avoiding feelings of cold.
Window Insulation Work
According to ’ADEME (the French Environment and Energy Management Agency), 10% to 15% of a home's heat loss occurs through windows. Window insulation is essential if you want to limit energy consumption for heating. It can reduce your annual bills by up to 40% through various methods.
Weather Stripping
Weather stripping involves placing seals on the frames of your windows. The seals are made of foam, rubber, or plastic and come in the form of adhesive tape. They provide excellent thermal insulation and help isolate you from noise and prevent allergenic components such as pollen and dust from entering your home.
Double Glazing
Double glazing is one of the most commonly used techniques for window insulation. The aim is to replace existing windows with two panes of glass between which is injected a layer of air or gas. Double glazing can reduce heat loss by 30% to 40%.
Secondary Glazing
You can also opt for secondary glazing. The principle is simple: add second glazing to your old windows to improve their thermal performance. Secondary glazing is often less effective than double glazing.
Install Efficient Heating or Hot Water Production Equipment to Reduce Your Energy Bill
Investing in the installation of good heating equipment, such as heat pumps or gas boilers, has a very positive impact on optimizing your energy consumption.
Heat Pumps
Heat pumps are renewable energy heating devices. They exploit calories provided by renewable sources (air, geothermal) to produce heat. There are different types of heat pumps, including geothermal heat pumps and air-source heat pumps.
Geothermal Heat Pumps
The operation of a geothermal heat pump is quite simple. Pipes are buried in the ground of your garden or courtyard. A heat transfer fluid circulates inside these pipes and retrieves heat energy from the earth. The heat is then delivered to the heating system using a heat exchanger and distributed throughout the house via radiators.
For air-source heat pumps, a heat transfer fluid circulates in a pipe to the heat source to transform into gas. The temperature and pressure of the gas are then increased by a compressor. The gas reaches a heat exchanger and transfers the heat energy to the heating system. The heat is then spread inside the house via underfloor heating or radiators.
The purchase prices of heat pumps range from €8,000 to €18,000. Their installation requires the expertise and advice of professionals to select the appropriate equipment and size them correctly. This indeed represents a significant investment. However, the expenses incurred during installation can be alleviated through various financial aids, such as the Total Énergies energy grant or the 30% tax credit.
While heat pumps may be costly, they are highly efficient. The temperature inside the ground remains relatively constant beyond a few meters, giving them a better yield, ranging from 140% to 190%. For 1 kWh of electricity consumed to operate, the system returns 3 kWh to 4 kWh of heat. Indeed, it can reduce your bill by up to 50% (in winter) compared to a conventional heating system (electric).
Gas Boiler
Used in most individual houses and many collective dwellings, gas is an efficient and affordable heating energy. Modern gas boilers allow for significant energy savings.
The operation of a gas boiler is based on the same principle for all models. Gas from the public network or your tank (butane, propane, natural gas) enters the boiler to be burned. This combustion provides heat that is transferred to a heat transfer fluid. This fluid is transported to radiators or underfloor heating systems through a distribution system to heat the rooms of your home. The gas boiler can also be used to produce hot water either instantaneously or by accumulation in a hot water tank.
The gas boiler is a practical and very easy-to-install equipment. It offers excellent comfort in winter while reducing your energy bill by 28%. By replacing your electric heating with a gas boiler, you are not only opting for an economical solution but also an ecological one. Natural gas is considered the most environmentally friendly fossil fuel.
Regulating and Programming Your Heating Consumption Reduces Your Energy Bill
By adopting good daily habits and using programmable tools, it is possible to reduce your heating consumption by up to 20%.
Equip Yourself with a Thermostat
Technology now serves energy savings and energy transition. The thermostat is a device used to control the heating system to adjust the temperature of your home. There are two types of thermostats.
The programmable thermostat is manually set to adjust the temperature provided by your heating system. The connected thermostat, on the other hand, allows you to control your heating remotely from your smartphone, tablet, or computer via an application or software.
According to ADEME, programming the heating of your home, whether it's a house or an apartment, using a thermostat can achieve energy savings between 5% and 20%.
Adjusting Your Heating According to the Time and Room
To reduce your heating consumption, you can adjust your thermostat according to the time of day and the specific room. In rooms occupied during the day, ADEME recommends a temperature between 19°C and 21°C. During both day and night, unoccupied rooms can be kept at a temperature of 16°C. Avoid keeping your heating on constantly in spaces that are only used for short periods.
Also, remember to ventilate the rooms of your home every day to remove moisture. Do not exceed one hour to limit heat loss in winter. In summer, you can open curtains and shutters during the day to let the sun's heat into your home.
