Saving on gas, oil, electricity and fuel: efficient tips for the environment and your wallet

Created: 03/31/2022, 07:16

By: Christian Vordemann

The prices for gas, oil, electricity and fuel are currently causing high bills.

Consumers can make substantial savings by making simple behavioral changes.

© Christin Klose/dpa-tmn

Electricity, gas, heating oil and fuel are becoming more expensive, and the dispute with Russia is driving up prices.

If you want to save energy now, you don't have to freeze - an overview of the most efficient tricks.

Munich – Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck has called on the population to save energy.

The background is the dispute with Russia, in the course of which natural gas deliveries could be stopped.

But even with sufficient quantities, the prices are high.

Reason enough to do something for the climate and your wallet.

Heating costs: Consumers can save money with small changes

In no other area can a household save more energy than with heating.

On average, around 125 kilowatt hours (KWh) per square meter are burned per year.

In order to reduce energy costs, it is important to regularly look at your own heating energy consumption.

Even small changes in behavior and small investments can save heating energy and costs.

"Turn your heating down at night or when you're not at home, for example," advises the energy advice center of the consumer advice center.

Digital systems such as "Smart Home" support this.

"Every degree less reduces heating energy consumption by six percent."

Modern technology and good insulation allow the savings stocking to grow even faster.

Which measures are possible depends on your own wishes, habits and home.

By reducing the room temperature, you can make significant savings, emphasized Norbert Endres, energy consultant at the Bavarian consumer advice center: "Every degree less reduces the heating energy consumption by six percent." Nineteen to twenty-one degrees room temperature are often perceived as comfortable.

Improved thermal insulation on the building envelope also significantly reduces energy consumption.

Power consumption: Home office consumes significantly more energy

It is amazing what amounts of energy come together through electricity consumption for lights, for charging batteries, for cooking, for washing clothes, for multimedia and computers.

This thirst for energy is difficult to counteract with improved energy standards in new buildings and renovated old buildings.

It is very easy to reduce your own energy consumption and the associated costs while doing something good for the climate at the same time.

It is worth identifying power guzzlers in the household.

Many households also consume significantly more electricity when working at home (home office).

The regular operation of the computer, desk lamp, kettle or coffee machine increases electricity consumption by around five percent, estimates the energy advice service of the consumer advice centres.

Electricity costs: "Standby alone makes up about 15 percent".

The more frequent use of other electrical and household appliances also contributes to this.

The specific additional costs vary from case to case and are estimated at 30 cents to one euro per day.

If the additional heating energy required for working from home is included, this results in additional costs of up to several hundred euros per year.

A PC consumes three times as much electricity as a notebook and three times as much as a tablet, says Norbert Endres from the Bavarian consumer advice center.

Devices that are not currently needed should be switched off completely.

TVs should be set to sleep mode.

"Standby alone accounts for about 15 percent of an average electricity bill," says Endres.

When buying new household appliances, particularly economical ones should be considered.

Save fuel by optimizing your own driving style

But according to the ADAC, those who have to drive a car also have a number of options, and quite simply, to save up to 20 percent fuel by optimizing their driving style and driving with foresight: for example, shift up in good time, avoid unnecessary braking, move the car forward let the red traffic light roll out and switch off the engine in front of the level crossing.

Short distances should be avoided because the engine consumes the most fuel when the engine is cold.

"For short distances, it's better to switch to a bicycle or combine several individual journeys into one longer journey," advises the automobile club.

High fuel consumption due to incorrect air pressure in the car

The correct air pressure is also important (the information can be found in the car/operating instructions).

"It can be increased by 0.2 bar, which means there is less rolling friction," says energy consultant Endres.

The right pace and air resistance is an important factor.

"The slower it is, the more economical a car is," emphasizes Endres.

At speeds over 90 km/h, consumption increases significantly, the bigger the car, the more.

Consumers can obtain tips on saving energy from the energy advice service of the consumer advice centre.

Appointments can be made on the toll-free number 0800 809 802 400