With the overall increase in energy prices, households are spending an increasing share of their domestic spending on their electricity bills. JeChange.fr offers you a few keys to reduce their cost.
While final energy consumption in the residential sector increased by only 1.7% between 2002 and 2013, electricity consumption exploded over the same period, with an increase of 23.7% , In spite of apparatuses less and less energy-consuming!
The increase in the number of electrical equipment in households, the increase in their size and their duration of use, but also the use that is not always very economical . What are the solutions to alleviate these bills without changing the way of life?

Decrease heating and hot water costs

Heating and hot water together account for almost 75% of the energy expenditure of a French household. Reducing the electricity consumption related to their operation is therefore a crucial issue to reduce the cost of your bill.
There are many effective ways to reduce your heating bill : strengthen your home ‘s thermal insulation , adjust the temperature to an adequate value, properly maintain your equipment …
In the same way, simple gestures can reduce the cost of your bill due to the water heater significantly. It is important to favor showers in baths, to adjust the temperature of the hot water tank between 55 and 60 ° C, or to install small equipment to reduce water consumption.

Adopting good behavior in the kitchen

Cooking represents on average 7% of household energy expenditure. Yet, several tips make it easy to reduce your energy consumption in the kitchen. Thinking about covering your pots and using cooktops appropriate to the size of the utensils will allow you for example a saving not negligible.
It is also important to adapt your utensils to your cooking habits :
• To boil water, prefer the kettle, not voracious in energy.
• To heat your dishes, the microwave oven will consume less than a conventional oven.
• For cooking your vegetables, the pressure cooker will be up to 60% more economical than pans.
Also, if you often use your cooktop for short periods, use induction cooking instead . Induction panels heating much faster, they offer a current saving of about 30% compared to glass-ceramic surfaces and 50% compared to conventional plates.

If you are more of an oven baker, use a rotating oven to cook several dishes at the same time. A combined oven (oven + microwave) will also reduce your electricity consumption from 66 to 75%.
Finally, a plate or a furnace continuing to heat after being switched off, use this heat during long cooking by turning them off a few minutes before the end of cooking.

Use the right gestures on a daily basis

Between 17 and 20% of the energy expenditure of an average household, the specific electricity, that is to say the electricity used for services operating only with this energy, is the second consumer item Of the fireplaces after heating . Considering the increase in the price of electricity , its constantly growing share makes the reduction of the expenses allocated to it an essential financial stake. For this, several solutions are available to you.

Limit consumption of your washing machines

All household appliances related to washing account for 33% of the specific electricity consumed by households with a dryer in addition to their washing machine and dishwasher.
The dryer consumes 17% of the specific electricity spent to reduce its electricity bill, it is strongly recommended to privilege the drying of clothes in the open air . If this is not possible, use a moisture sensor that stops or goes into standby automatically when drying is complete and wring out your laundry properly before placing it in the appliance.
Even if your washing machine consumes relatively little electricity, you can still limit the part of your bill due to it by not necessarily using prewash, usually unnecessary, and by favoring programs at low temperature .
Similarly, if the dishwasher is considered to be more economical than dishwashing by hand by letting the water run, it must be systematically filled before use. Consider using the “eco” program to reduce consumption by up to 45%.
Finally, do not forget to regularly clean the filters and the joints of your washers to ensure optimal operation.
Choose the most energy-efficient multimedia devices
As a second source of specific electricity consumption, multimedia devices are multiplying in households. To limit their electricity consumption, it is important to select the most economical appliances.
For example, LCD TVs consume less energy than those with a plasma display. In the same way, it is advisable to favor the use of laptops, requiring between 50 and 80% less energy than fixed stations, and inkjet printers that do not need preheating And require between 5 and 10 W , compared with 200 to 300 W for laser printers.
In general, multifunction equipment will consume less than the sum of the devices it replaces: a printer combining scanner, fax and photocopier will thus require 50% less energy than all of these devices individually.
Finally, with phone or laptop chargers likely to continue to consume electricity even if the charging is complete and they are no longer connected to a device, disconnect them routinely.

Track down the eve of your electrical appliances

Even when turned off, many appliances continue to consume electricity when they stay connected. TV, DVD player, game console and computer but also coffee maker, microwave, bread machine, washing machine and dishwasher: pay attention to the hidden watches!
To prevent them, you can use “cut-off” plugs, which stop the power supply when you switch off a device, so-called “intelligent” plugs, which stop it after a certain standby time, or Yet energy management software reduces the consumption of your computer by 40 to 60%.
Finally, in case of prolonged absence, disconnect all electrical appliances , including water heaters. Beware, however, of connected devices: for example, the watches of certain washing machines or dishwashers are connected to leak detection.

Optimize the operation of your refrigerating appliances

Refrigerators and freezers are very greedy in electricity. Their consumption depends on the temperature difference with the outside, to save energy, it is better to avoid placing them near a source of heat (radiator, oven, hob, sunny window …) . It is also imperative to leave space behind and above the unit so that the air circulates correctly.
If your freezer will fully acclimatize to an unheated cellar or garage, it is better to avoid such environments for your refrigerator. Each device is designed to operate within a certain range of ambient temperatures that can be found on the documentation and inside the device. Outside this range, its performance will be altered and it will over-consume or stop.
It is also preferable not to open these appliances too long and too often to avoid the loss of cold air and to place no hot food or uncovered liquids or vegetables in order to avoid evaporation, Accumulation of frost. A layer of frost exceeding 3 mm increases the consumption of your devices by almost 30%.
Finally, in addition to defrosting your appliances, to avoid over-consumption, you should also regularly clean your dust collectors and check that the seals on their doors are clean and tight.

Clearly illuminate

Numerous simple gestures allow you to reduce your electricity consumption devoted to lighting while maintaining optimum brightness.
For example, you can arrange your interior in such a way as to make the most of natural light. By directing your furniture in such a way as to avoid shady areas of shadows and to benefit from a maximum of luminosity where you need it most (desk, work surface, reading corner …), it is possible to save Up to one hour of daily lighting! Dressing your walls and ceilings in light colors that better reflect light is also a solution to limit the use of artificial lighting.
Consider fitting yourself into low-energy bulbs. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) or LED lamps are now adaptable to all types of luminaires. You can also adjust the brightness of your light bulbs as rooms : the living rooms require between 15 and 20 W per m 2 against between 10 and 15 W per m 2 for bedrooms and hallways and 5 W are enough to watch TV or computer.

Compare pricing options and supplier offers

Since the opening of the electricity market to competition, alternative suppliers offer market offers at prices often more attractive than the regulated tariffs of the incumbent EDF.
The Happ-e offers from GDF Suez and Online electricity from Direct Energie promise, for example, a saving of 8% on the price of kWh of electricity HT. To compare the various offers of electricity suppliers or simply inquire, consult our comparator of the best electricity tariffs .
Suppliers also offer various tariff options . Subscribing to an ” off-peak-hour ” option will allow you, for example, to make significant savings if you operate the maximum of your electrical appliances during off-peak hours, when the price of kWh of electricity is reduced. Some machines (washing machine, dishwasher …) are also equipped with a delayed start which makes it easy to take advantage of this advantage.

We all once started. In memory to this day are alive the first victories and the first setbacks, the first flower that blossomed on its first flowerbed, and the first self-grown harvest. And now, on the eve of the next summer season, I want to say a few words to those for whom he will become the very one that is memorable for life: the first.

Do you think it will be about how to plant and plant? And here not. About this – another time. And today – about those rules, without which any initiative is doomed to failure and disappointment. I know from experience: it is very important that at the right moment someone tells you these simple words …

Do not be afraid!

Most of all at first we are hampered by the awareness of our own inexperience in the country business and the fear of making a mistake. What decisions can be taken if the brain is constantly jarring alarm bell: “I do not know how to do it! I never did it! I can not! But suddenly I will do something wrong, I’ll spoil something! ”
So, I have good news. First, it passes. And it passes quickly – you will not have time to look back, as wings are straightened behind your back. Honestly! Secondly , if you are not going to arrange some very crazy agronomical experiments at the dacha, it is unlikely that your actions (even if they were wrong, not without this) could cause really serious and irreparable damage to the garden and its inhabitants.

Do not exaggerate their helplessness and “illiteracy” in country issues. Listen to yourself. Believe in the inner voice – he usually does not advise bad advice Try, do, make mistakes . Take lessons from your own mistakes – and do it again. It’s not scary! If at some point you start to doubt – read the article Dacha without rules .

“Do not make yourself an idol”

When you feel inexperienced, you feel a lack of knowledge and experience, it is tempting to follow the authoritative opinion of others. And this is normal, there is nothing wrong with it – how else to learn something new. But it is not necessary from the first steps to get stuck on some one point of view, idea or theory. Why? Because of all the same own inexperience.
It is difficult to objectively evaluate other people’s views and concepts when you start a new business “from scratch”. Theories are mass, they are all persuasive and look very attractive. Well, tell me, which of us will abandon the ecologically pure harvest grown without any worries and special efforts? Is it tempting? And then!
And now a freshly baked summer resident with the energy and fervor of a neophyte begins to introduce and preach some fashionable theory. If everything coincided – as they say, “the stars came together” – and it turned out well, it is strengthened in its “new faith”. If something went wrong somewhere, the results did not justify the hopes – it sometimes becomes a fierce opponent and critic of the former “idol” now cast into the dust …
Wait. Do not rush to join the ranks of ardent supporters of any method. Listen to different opinions, compare, weigh . Look through the review From the plow to the computer: traditions and innovations in agriculture – you will see how vast the choice can be. Try, check, look. Do not take anything for granted. And then, after a while, for sure you will find what you need.

Do not rush!

I want everything to happen right away. Today there was only grass till the waist – and a week later it is already standing, lake ducks are swimming on the lake, apples are poured on the branches … Fairy-tale, yeah)) But you want the same, right? Let not so exaggerated, and yet …
Probably, we all dream of how (thanks to our inexhaustible energy, of course!), The neglected plot will change magically: instead of weeds, well-maintained beds and lush flower beds will grow, arches and gazebos, paths and lawn will appear … And in the first year.
But this often does not happen – and disappointment comes: failed, failed … Some, however, at the cost of titanic efforts, it is possible to achieve impressive results. Only there is no power left to enjoy them. And then why all this? ..
Remember, what folk wisdom says: “Moscow was not built at once”. It is impossible to turn an abandoned wasteland into a garden of paradise for a year (if we are talking about ordinary summer residents, of course, those who do not have unlimited resources to immediately realize any dreams). Everything has its time. All will be. Everything will turn out. Just not right away .
And until the “real” spring has come, read the article ” Redevelopment at the dacha: what to do when you want to change everything – it will tell you how to distribute forces and time in order to get the best result in your first summer season.

Do not give up!

Failures  and mistakes will be happen. Accept this as a fact, as a fact. So gaining experience, this is its price. And this does not mean that nothing happens .
There will be unexpected problems, all sorts of difficulties and unpleasant “surprises”. For example, fresh molehills on a brand-new flat lawn. Or an unexpected summer hail, leaving only memories from your favorite flowers. Late frosts or prolonged spring rains; Neighbor’s dog; A seedling that has not taken root … But you did not expect that it would cost absolutely no difficulties, right? ..
In moments of fatigue and despondency – stop. Read the article Where there is optimism and look at what is happening a little differently. Do not let the problems prevail , because you are probably stronger than them.

Do not compare with others!

Another difficult moment in the life of a beginner. You look around, leaf through pages of sites – around neat little houses and well-groomed gardens, where everything is so beautiful, so intelligently arranged … You look at your own land – and the longing is coming: here it is still so far from the ideal … It’s easy to fall into despair.
And you ask those whose gardens you admire, how many years they left to create this beauty. And believe me – in your time, too, everything will change for the better.
And think about it: do you really need it “just like in the picture”? Is this really your dream? The question, by the way, is not idle. Often those who seek to make “like a neighbor” or “like that photo in a magazine” forget to “try on” the coveted idea for their real life.
And now a picture of life . My friends in the country house have a fireplace, and chairs, and “hunting trophies” on the walls of the fireplace hall, and the view outside the window. Only they can not remember when the last fire was fired up – they have enough stoves. And they prefer to spend the evenings in front of the TV. And from the big window (yes, the very one behind which – the marvelous view) is terribly blowing, and to do anything – is difficult and very expensive, because there are huge glass in bulky old frames … But it looks beautiful, of course .. .
Only “was” and “became” can be compared . Take photos of your dacha before you start transforming it. And whenever you want to compare your (maybe still modest) successes with strangers, get those pictures and say to yourself: “I have achieved excellent results!” And it surely will be true – you’ll see.

Learn!

Nobody was born with knowledge and experience. That’s why thousands of books are being written, hundreds of magazines are being published, websites are being created, articles are being written so that we can find the information you need, find answers to your questions.
Do not think that everything will come-you have to study thoughtfully and purposefully . Here to whom as it is more convenient: who – under books, who – under prompts of more skilled friends, neighbors on a summer residence. It is important to analyze your mistakes and good luck, draw conclusions – and certainly apply them in practice.
At the beginning summer resident, by the way, in this respect there is a huge advantage over experienced. Do you know what? In an effort to learn new things, to learn . Over time, we often lose it, stop, having reached some level of results acceptable for ourselves.
The longer the interest in knowledge persists, the more success will be in the daily garden-and-garden cares. Perfect, and let every new summer season be full of discoveries!

Ask!

I repeat: no one can know everything. And there will always be someone who understands better in one or another issue. Therefore, you should not “cook in your own juice”, trying to find all the necessary answers yourself. Do not be afraid to ask , even if it seems to you that your questions are naive and ridiculous. In fact, the one who self-confidently believes that he knows everything is ridiculous, and the one who seeks, recruited experience, is always right in seeking to find the truth.
We have a section Questions – it’s just to ask and receive answers. And comments on articles are also for this (including)). Did not find any information, faced with difficulties – ask ! Necessarily, there are those who have an answer. Or at least a clue where to look for it – sometimes this is enough.

Rejoice!

A  village house is not a place where you need to exhaust yourself with slave labor in the vast “plantations.” The village house is a “place of strength”, a powerful antidepressant, a source of positive and optimistic . It is very important to remember this, otherwise the initial fervor and enthusiasm will quickly fade away – they will be overwhelmed by fatigue and a load of endless worries.
Find the time to just admire what nature has created and your skillful hands. Rejoice in flowers, butterflies, fruit ripening on the branches, morning sun, birds singing, clean air. Look for and find occasions for joy and admiration , be proud of your successes, enjoy and  cares.

Believe in yourself!

“It’s not the gods that burn pots,” and that’s true. Even if you are anxiously waiting for the beginning of spring, doubting your own strength and suffering from uncertainty, everything will soon change. The first shoots in the garden miraculously raise self-esteem
When something starts to turn out (and it turns out that it’s impossible – just can not be otherwise, since you started this business!), Our confidence begins to grow steadily. Remember: everyone once started . No one knows his experience and knowledge from birth, so they will come to you, too. Very soon, wait and meet!
A little secret: if you share your success with friends, it necessarily becomes more Support and approval of like-minded people are doing real miracles! Therefore, do not hesitate to talk about your dacha finds and achievements, discoveries and successes – write, leave comments, publish photos of your wonderful, unique, and (certainly – beloved) Villa so that we can all rejoice for you.

You may also like to read about strix mythology.