The consumer protection association DECO suggests some practical measures to help the Portuguese to save on energy bills.
With VAT on electricity and gas at 23%, the maximum rate in Portugal, at the level of the tax on a smartphone or a high-end car, it is advisable to step up savings, even because the parties failed to lower this tax, in the approval of the State Budget for 2020.
DECO suggests “small gestures accessible to everyone can make a difference in the energy bill”. To know:
Disconnect equipment from the mains. Do not leave them in stand-by. The use of electrical extensions with cut-off current is a solution to consider. These simple measures are 55 euros of savings per year;
THE regular defrosting of the refrigerator and freezer it is also noticed in the electricity bill. Place the lid on the pan when cooking, whenever the recipe allows, it is another useful tip.
Using the machine’s ECO program wash dishes and low temperature also make a difference.
In the winter, you can enjoy the sun by opening the curtains and / or window blinds during the day. At night close them. In the summer, on the contrary, close the curtains and / or blinds of the windows during the day and at night open the windows to cool the house.
For domestic hot water, keep the device’s temperature regulator in the “Eco” position or at the temperature as close as possible to that used on the tap. With this gesture you get an average savings of 41 euros per year.
Install flow reducers on certified taps and shower heads by ANQIP (National Association for the Quality of Building Installations) and avoid leaks and dripping taps as much as possible.
Shower, shower, instead of the bath, is noted in the water and energy bills.
Wash clothes at low temperatures and, if possible, dry it on the clothesline. If you use a dryer, choose a model with a heat pump and fold the laundry as soon as the program ends, using less iron.
These councils follow the presentation of results from the CLEAR 2.0 program, which helped 24 families to save on energy bills, concluding that “the highest savings potential is in central heating”.
According to DECO, an annual saving of between 19 and 503 euros was recorded among the families that participated in the project, financed by the Horizon 2020 program of the European Commission, which points to the switch to renewable energy sources as the path to energy and environmental savings.
As the path goes along, and as the switch to renewable energy sources is not available to everyone, savings are made by saving on a daily basis.
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