Energy Efficiency

[Martha]

Jane Bennet's Electric Shocks thread (I think it's mean to shock a goat so!)
viewtopic.php?t=2420

made me worry a bit about our future bills - as a chalet that's heavily used in winter, we need to be careful!

There are a lot of energy efficiency measures that just aren't practical in a rental home - people are on holiday, and they *will* have the heating on full blast, be having ten hot showers morning and evening, running the washing machine at peak times, leaving all the lights on etc etc.

So I wondered what measures you've found *are* useful to take...ones I have thought of so far are:

- Thermal Lined Curtains - more popular in America, which has a lot more people living in areas of extreme temperatures that the UK....they look good though, and claim to hugely reduce heat loss (and gain, in summer)

- Draught excluders: the 'brush' kind, on all the doors, internal and external

- Warm duvets and nice warm throws on all the beds, so people don't want to turn the heat up too much (but then, will I need to get another set for summer? hmmmm)

- much encouragement of lighting the fire, as I think wood works out cheaper than electric.

- Plenty of rugs on the floors to make them warm underfoot

- Some low-energy light bulbs - but, though I agonise a bit over this, the light that they give out is just not that nice - it's a very cold light. We found one that's supposed to have a warm tint, and it's better, but still a faint greenish tinge. Has anyone found some that give a nice light?

- Susan's Heures Creuses suggestion might be handy for us, as it's likely that the house will need to be warmest at night - we are going to talk to EDF next week about our needs...

Any more tips would be really welcome!

[Martha]

I found some useful stuff on this US site:
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/

including this thorough "home energy audit"
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/you ... opic=11170

[gh]

Insulation is also v.good for keeping the heat escaping. Our place is 100's of years old and when we remodeling, all our outside walls have insulated placo and the roof space has been insulated with 6"'s.

We also have a heating system (oil) too far for town gas which you can regulate by telephone. You dial the house and the system tells you the temp inside and out and you can key in the temp you want.

A tip from here, was to put the 'real' thermostate hidden and leave a fake on show.

We also found that guests in the summer were using the electric towels rails in the bathrooms to dry their towels inside with outside temps of 30's plus, so we now remove the fuse to these in the summer. Well we are Scottish

[Hells Bells]

We have a geothermal system from the local hot springs, This is very energy efficient, as the hot water is piped into the house and heats the floors. As we are on the ground floor our ceiling is actually warm too. So far, the electric radiators haven't been used at all even when it was -25 last new Year. (There was a plastic strip on the swiatches and they're still there). Water is heated overnight on heures creuses (if I use the washing machine I put it on then too). The electric towel rail is thermostatically controlled, and also has a timer switch, which so far no-one has been able to over-ride (A guest complained he couldn't get it to stay on long enough to dry his ski gear). I also have thick duvets, and some quilted bedspreads which I use in the Summer with only a flat sheet and no duvet. Closing the shutters at night should keep the draughts out, and the warmth in.

[gh]

We try to be careful how much electricity is used at both our homes, yes cost is a factor but so is the environment.

Hoping to instal solar panels for heating when we move over fulltime and on the plus side France give grants to residents who do. Would love underfloor heating like yours HelenB and from a natural source. Our hot water is heated on demand; but then again you need electricty to fire the boiler.

Our towels rails also have thermostates and a timer yet they manage to have them on; to what seems like 24/7, how they can stand the heat in the bathrooms in summer is beyond me.

[Hells Bells]

We don't actually have any instructions for ours, and haven't managed to get it to switch on for more than a short while. It could be because the apartment was so warm last winter.

[Martha]

HelenB....Geothermal from the hot springs, how wonderful. Maybe you should mention it on your website - eco-friendly underfloor heating would be a big plus for me....

I see that you've got the throw that we are going to buy for one of the rooms!!! I was thinking that throws and a sheet would probably be OK for summer - that's good to know. If not, thin duvets aren't expensive...

A timer for the towel rail is an excellent idea...

The fake thermostat made me laugh! I've done it myself....come in on the first day, all cold and turned the heat right up, only to turn it down again the next day through being to hot. I bet I'd never have noticed a placebo thermostat...

[Hells Bells]

Firebug, I have one for each bed now it's summer. We were actually warm enough at Easter to just use it. The geothermal heating was very warm last winter, and we had to turn it down. It will be more comfortable next season when the properties are all complete.

[Martha]

I like the new winter pic by the way!!

[Hells Bells]

Thanks, I am just sorting the site out for the winter, and hit the 'publish' button by mistake, so it was a bit premature. It's the one we used last winter too. Hubby is in bed poorly today, so I've nothing better to do.

[Martha]

hope he feels better soon...

[mpprh]

Hi

I've recently had contact with these people : http://www.un-ami-en-france.com

Worth a look ?

Peter

[enid]

We are trying to instal various energy saving devices here - as yet with no success. We have had meetings with several companies. The prices in France are high - they assure you of tax rebates that will reduce the final outlay but we feel it is this that is keeping the prices high in the first place.Have had a look at this site but again it is thin on detail (and no prices shown). Contact them and arrange a visit - we guess that you will then receive the same sales pitch we have had - a technique that has died a death in the UK ( remember those double glazing salesmen? - well it's just like that!). If you have a question that's not covered in their black presentation book they are lost.

We are looking in Belgium at the moment -I'll let you know if we succeed.

[Martha]

Peter - they look interesting! One for the future. Did you have any luck, Enid?