Rules and tips to cut costs

Bill prices are rising, and as fall approaches, winter is approaching relentlessly and will bring in cooler temperatures. A season that risks the corpses of families and businesses, and struggles with costs that are hard to bear. In addition to government aid, citizens are forced to follow the rules and advice to save, thus trying to lighten the burden of expenditures that have tripled compared to the averages of previous years.

Bills, how to save: rules and tips

After all, following the rules and advice given in the recommendations pays off. A savings scheme prepared by the Italian government, for example, can have a positive effect on the accounts of individual families. The figure for the reduction in gas and electricity bills can reach 607 euros in just one year.

Heating: reduced hours and degrees

Squeezing the heating – one degree less, and lowering the ignition by one hour a day and 15 days a year – can lighten the €178.63 bill. It is worth paying attention to the shower more: 250 euros if you reduce it from 7 to 5 minutes and reduce the temperature by three degrees. The data, which has been processed in recent days by Enea, the National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development that has collaborated with Minister Roberto Cingolani on the plan. But it is clear, assuming a normative family, and above all that the behavior really fits pointers. Then, as always, the statistics should be read with the premise that each has its own effect. This also applies to energy. But the Enea data is not that of Trilussa chickens and can be used to understand what is happening in practice with the behaviors we do. Estimates start from what will be a commitment.

Reduce heating days

The 15-day reduction in the winter heating operating period, with one hour less per day and a limit of 19 degrees indoors, is worth 133.53 cubic meters of gas per household per year and lightens the €178.63 bill. If we limit ourselves to lowering the temperature by only one degree, the savings come to 109 euros. One hour a day equals 26.7 euros. This also applies to those with an independent system which, in fact, by reducing consumption further, could possibly save more. Then there is an appreciation of the impact it can have on electricity and gas consumption with voluntary adoption of virtuous behaviour. Procedures are defined as “soft” and are without cost. The total is €428.75, but in the choice of behaviors each family can adopt, the subdivision by element is also interesting.

Shower, pasta, dishwasher, washing machine

The lion’s share of the savings is achieved by reducing the time and temperature of the shower: if instead of 7 minutes you limit yourself to 5 and lower the water temperature by 3 degrees, the consumption is reduced by 35% and is valid. Save €252.23. Obviously, lowering the heat after boiling the pasta is worth less: €12.46. Halving the use of the washing machine (once every two days instead of one daily) and the dishwasher (once a day instead of two days) allows you to reduce your electric bill by 52.29 and 74.69 euros, respectively.

Small savings not to be underestimated

There are also small savings that, when added together, can have value: unplug the washing machine (€ 1.58), the refrigerator during the holidays (€ 3.42), do not leave your TV, set-top box and DVD on standby (4, 53 €), do By reducing the ignition of the kitchen oven (€13.78) turn off the light by reducing each single bulb by one hour per day (€11.92). Of course it is also possible to do more. It’s not part of the government’s savings plan, but a household that invests in a new device saves money. some examples? An 8 kg washing machine that goes from class G to class A saves 67.9 euros per year, and a 300-liter refrigerator that makes the same seasons “leap” cuts the bill by 83.92 euros per year. On the other hand, if you change the combination of light bulbs (first 40% incandescent, 25 LED and 35 fluorescent, then 32% incandescent, 38% LED and 31% fluorescent) the savings equal about 18 euros.

contemporary

If the winter is particularly harsh, the opinion could be to reduce the power flow by the distributors themselves on the recommendation of the sector authorities, after consulting the government, which would in fact prevent ignition at the same time during peak hours. The most problematic and most necessary range to attack by Von der Leyen, are the most energy-intensive household appliances, such as dishwashers, washing machines, hair dryers, and microwaves. But practical application – as Minister Roberto Cingolani himself has made clear in recent days – can be difficult due to the fact that not everyone has the new generation’s public keys. If the rule is carried out, we will have to organize ourselves, perhaps getting up early to wash the washing machines and taking a shower and in the evening washing the dishes left on the sink with the dishwasher while we can perhaps watch TV how much savings we make in this winter of war. For now, at least this can be seen in a positive and indirect way.

Drink tap water

The advantages for those who choose to drink tap water instead of bottled water are environmental and economical: a family of three can, in fact, save up to 480 euros on average per year. This was revealed by the Hera Group which publishes the 14th edition of In Good Water, an objective sustainability report on the quality of drinking water. 54% of Hera customers have already moved in this direction, also helping the environment by not consuming more than 300 million plastic bottles. If everyone did, another 420 million bottles could be avoided. “The key to every improvement – comments Orazio Iacono, CEO of the Hera Group – is awareness, and this report has the specific goal of imparting useful information for a valid water discussion, while also continuing to report timely investments in the manner and quality of the water it distributes Hera in the serviced areas.” “Water – Iacono concludes – that you can really trust and that 54% of our customers already use to quench their thirst rather than bottled water, a figure above the Italian average of 29% and we hope for another increase in the future in the direction of environmental sustainability and savings economic”. On the other hand, having clear ideas about water is not easy at all and that is why the new edition of the report has decided to address and dispel some of the false myths that distort the public perception of the issue. Only 26% of people know how much they spend annually on water, with the majority of respondents ignoring or even overestimating this figure, a curious fact, also because Italy – contrary to what most people here think – has water rates among the lowest in Europe . Not surprisingly, confusion also prevails over the activities that make up the integrated water service, with a large half of the interviewees not including sanitation and purification activities, which are essential to properly closing the circuit and for re-repair. For a resource environment compatible with ecosystems and reuse. So much so that 40% of water service costs are used to manage sewage and purification. Not forgetting the daily consumption of water for each of us, which 68% of the people estimate is between 155 and 190 liters which has now arrived instead of 220 liters. It is therefore necessary to commit to saving resources and, to this end, Hera enables the consumption diary, an intuitive tool for comparing an individual’s water consumption with that of others and thus the ability to improve: already available for 27% of customers Hera Spa will be extended to all Hera Spa and AcegasApsAmga customers over the years the next few.