Normally, this time of year, people would be planning summer holidays, changing their wardrobe, taking long promenades or cycle rides. But this year things are upside down. Millions of people all over the world have spent the last weeks at home, working and learning from home to help practice social distancing and limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. Does the current lockdown affect energy use? Of course! We are using more energy at home than before and at different times than usual. It means we probably have to rethink our energy behaviours to save energy and money. However, it’s not always the easiest of tasks.
That’s why eTEACHER project designed the #eTEACHERatHOME campaign. The social media campaign, launched in mid-March, wants to help you deal with this energy-saving issue with simple tips to improve your energy behaviour at home. The eTEACHER mascot takes you along this energy-saving journey: six energy tips are provided with graphic cards. You’ll find also data and sources to get more information.
1. Turn off your lights or appliances when you don’t need
them
Standby electricity consumption accounts for about 11% of our annual energy bill and it is roughly responsible for 1% of global CO2 emissions. Do you know that by 2030, 15% of the total appliance electricity consumption in Europe could be due to electricity consumption?
Heating and cooling account for half of the EU’s energy consumption. In EU households, heating and hot water alone account for 79% of total final energy use and only 19% is generated from renewable energy. Set your thermostat to 25° in the summer and 20° in the winter: every degree of extra heating or cooling will increase energy usage 6% to 8%. Setting your thermostat to a lower temperature than normal will not cool your home faster.
Think of your house as an envelope: to maintain your heat in the winter or your air conditioning in the summer you’ll have to seal all cracks. Estimates show that air leaks due to improperly sealed and weatherized homes account for 30-40% of a home’s overall heating and cooling loss. 
Water heating is a major contributor to your total energy consumption. Other than purchasing an energy-efficient water heater, in the card you can find four methods of reducing your water heating expenses.
The World Wide Web offers many online games dedicated to energy and climate change, to play and learn at the same time. There are games for kids, teens and adults, so no excuse! Ready to plug in and get gaming?
6. Set your workplace and open the windows
Working from home? Well, set a dedicated workspace, make comfortable and don’t forget to ventilate the room. Viruses can survive and travel in the air. Disinfect surfaces and increase outdoor ventilation to reduce the concentration of airborne viruses in indoor air. A breath of fresh air is always good for your health and your mind!
READ IT ONLINE Dear reader, Time flies and after four intensive years of work, eTEACHER is coming to an end! A lot has happened in the past few months, and we have continued working on the demonstration of eTEACHER solutions in our 12 pilot buildings. Close supervision of the monitoring and the ICT tools allowed […]
