This autumn is about saving energy. Especially now when the Russian invasion of Ukraine highly impacted the energy and food markets. Gas supply and demand cycles are impacted by economic activity, but also by weather. The winter season in 2020-2021 was unusually cold in Europe and freezing weather in Texas didn’t help it either. This led to concern about the resilience of energy infrastructure to extreme weather events, but it also resulted in a reduction of US LNG cargoes usually departing at this period for Europe to cater for heightened heating demand. The situation further worsened as the year progressed, with summer heat waves across Europe and the United States leading to a surge in demand for air conditioning.

Be energy efficient

• By taking advantage of the sun. Or better said, of its heat. Open curtains on the south-facing windows during the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat the home, and close them at night to reduce the chill from cold windows.
• By adjusting the temperature. When you are home and awake, set the thermostat as low as is comfortable. When you are asleep or out of the house, turn the thermostat back to save as much as 10% a year on your heating and cooling bills. Energy.gov suggests that 20 degrees Celsius is a good room temperature while you’re awake at home but recommends lowering it while you’re asleep or away. Lowering your thermostat 4-7 degrees for eight hours a day can reduce your annual heating expenses by as much as 10 percent.
• By covering drafty windows. More about the right window treatments here.
• By servicing your heating system. Schedule routine service for home heating systems and clean or replace parts that need that.
• By sealing leaks. Seal air leaks around utility cut-throughs for pipes, gaps around chimneys and recessed lights in insulated ceilings, and unfinished spaces behind cupboards and closets.
• By reversing ceiling fans. When you set the direction of the fan to turn clockwise, it pushes the warm air that has risen to the ceiling back down into the room.
• By simply replacing your indoor air filter. When dust and dirt build-up on HVAC filters, it makes the entire system work harder than it needs to, therefore using more energy.
• By reducing heat loss from the fireplace. Keep the fireplace damper closed unless a fire is burning.
• By lowering water heating costs. Keep the temperature of the water heater to the warm setting (120°F/ 49°C). This will not only save energy, but it will also help avoid scalding.

Saving energy might sound hard but these are actually just a few habits we can learn step by step. And we are here to help you. Contact us right here and find out more about the Sensix solution.