Leading an environmentally conscious lifestyle is a stated goal for many people, and sustainable living is an important part of that for them. After all, it is within your own four walls that you have the best opportunity to implement your own ideas.
Besides the fact that you can do something good for the environment, it also has the advantage that such a lifestyle is financially worthwhile, because a lot of money can be saved just by changing behaviors. In addition, energy consumption can be reduced by purchasing modern appliances, so that in this way, too, a euro or two can be saved in the long term.
If you are one of those who have committed themselves to sustainable living, we have five tips for you below. These are aimed at people who are still completely new to this field, as well as those who already have experience but are still open to suggestions they were not previously aware of.
Tip 1: Sustainable living through the use of green electricity
In the past, green electricity was significantly more expensive than the conventional version. After all, new processes had to be tested and infrastructures built so that this innovative form of electricity could be produced or transported. However, significant progress has now been made in this area; for example, the efficiency of solar systems almost doubled between 2012 and 2020.
In addition, due to the increased environmental awareness among the population, the market became lucrative for more and more providers. This, in turn, resulted in fierce competition that still exists today. And consumers benefit from this as well. They can now save real money by switching to tariffs with sustainable electricity, as these are sometimes even cheaper than the standard tariffs of basic suppliers. At the same time, the consequential costs for the environment are also reduced, because with green electricity, for example, there is no problem with final disposal. And quite incidentally, up to 90 percent of CO2 can be saved with green electricity.
Tip 2: Pay attention to the energy efficiency class when buying an appliance
Electrical appliances can also support sustainable living. Although it always depends on the type of appliance how much less is consumed. For example, it hardly makes sense to replace a toaster that requires a lot of electricity but is only in operation for a few minutes a day. However, the situation is different with appliances that have to be supplied with electricity for several hours a day, such as a refrigerator.
Here it is definitely appropriate to opt for an appliance with a good efficiency class. For example, the "savings of an A+++ refrigerator" compared to an A+ appliance can amount to around 50 percent. And you can also save a lot with tumble dryers; here the potential is around 100 euros per year.Tip 3: Use a water-saving shower headEven a shower head can make a significant difference when it comes to protecting the environment and your own wallet. This is because when showering, not only is water consumed, but also energy to heat it. Since by far the most water is used for showering in a household, it makes a lot of sense to optimize here.
The potential savings in relation to a shower head can be between 30 and 50 percent, which can mean several hundred euros a year for a four-person household. The reason why less water is used with this type of shower head is simple, by the way: air is mixed into the water.
Tip 4: Heat intelligently and bleed the radiators
First of all, you should be aware that not all rooms in a house or apartment need to be equally warm. For example, in the bathroom, when you are showering and then only "dressed" in a towel, it makes sense to set the temperature to 22 to 24 degrees Celsius, while the kitchen, hallway, and bedroom can get by with around 18 degrees Celsius.
At night, 18 degrees Celsius is also sufficient in most rooms. However, it shouldn't get much colder, otherwise the rooms could cool down. Bringing them back to a comfortable temperature would cost a lot of energy.
It is also important to free the heating from excess air, otherwise the heating power will decrease significantly, which in turn will result in higher heating costs. Regular bleeding can reduce energy consumption by up to 15 percent.
Tip 5: Have the heating system replaced
We are picking up here again on the last point, namely heating. Another way to implement sustainable living and reduce heating costs is to "replace the heating system". In fact, a heating system accounts for around 80 percent of the energy demand in a building. A modern heating system now has several advantages: it has a savings potential of up to 30 percent.
The environment also benefits, of course, from the fact that fewer harmful emissions are released. Furthermore, modern appliances are usually more space-saving, so that the gained area can be used for other purposes. The fact that a new heating system does not need to be maintained as intensively as a technically outdated one is another argument.
Even though conditions have changed since 2020, the installation of a new heating system can be subsidized by the state. As a rule, such an intervention is carried out quickly. It takes about four hours – or about two hours longer if it is a heating system with a hot water tank.As is so often the case, it is the small things that have a big impact. By changing just a few things, you can ensure that sustainable living is possible.For example, green electricity is now even cheaper than the standard tariff of many basic suppliers, and modern electrical appliances as well as "water-saving shower heads" offer not only ecological but also economic advantages.
You can also act in the interest of the environment and your own wallet when it comes to heating by heating differently depending on the room, turning down the temperature at night, and considering replacing the old heating system with a new one.
Leading an environmentally conscious lifestyle is a stated goal for many people, and sustainable living is an important part of that for them. After all, it is within your own four walls that you have the best opportunity to implement your own ideas. Besides the fact that you can do something good for the environment, it also has the advantage that
Conclusion
Es sind wie so oft die kleinen Dinge, die eine große Wirkung haben. Indem man nur einige wenige Sachen verändert, kann man dafür sorgen, dass nachhaltiges Wohnen möglich ist.
So ist Öko-Strom mittlerweile sogar günstiger als der Standard-Tarif vieler Grundversorger und moderne Elektrogeräte genauso wie Sparduschköpfe bieten nicht nur ökologische, sondern auch ökonomische Vorteile.
Auch beim Thema Heizen kann man im Sinne der Umwelt und des eigenen Geldbeutels handeln, indem man je nach Raum unterschiedlich heizt, nachts die Temperatur herunterregelt und den Austausch der alten Therme gegen eine neue in Erwägung zieht.
