Whether we want to buy a new house, or we want to renovate the one we live in, or the question is simply to cut costs in our family budget, the energy crisis will follow us. It taught us that the height to which electricity, gas, or utility bills can skyrocket is unpredictable. Especially if our property is not sufficiently protected – which means that we are called to fill … a bucket that is more or less punctured – the risk is high. At the moment, the state has opened the protective veil. With a permanent mechanism to subsidize electricity bills, it effectively put an “upper ceiling” on the price of a kilowatt-hour, and unofficially the same applies to the price of natural gas. The horizontal discount also applies to the price of fuel oil, without which a liter would cost more than 1.4 euros today. State support forever? You can’t rely on this either. That is why the challenge in the coming months and years will be for one household after another to find and implement permanent solutions that will act as a “shield” in the next energy crises that will surely come, whether they have to him attitude. oil, be it natural gas or other form of energy. Permanent solutions are not necessarily very expensive. There are investments of several hundred euros and others of several thousand. Of course, “you get what you pay for” applies in this particular case as well. Small interventions will provide small savings, while large interventions will result in, if not zero, then at least a vertical reduction in electricity bills to the point where they are not considered worthy of accounting for household budgeting. Such a list of possible interventions is included in the following homage. List of cost decisions, measured performance and calculated payback period. It goes without saying that investments require funding. And since the richest households have that opportunity, how to ensure that the poorest are not left behind will also be a big challenge in the coming period. State subsidies for all types of programs that have been introduced or will be introduced in the near future will strive to provide an answer. In practice, it will be the judge of whether there will be an effect, since the poorest households in times of inflationary crisis struggle to meet the needs of everyday life, which limits the ability to satisfy the same participation in any investment, even if it is relatively limited.

→ Change power-hungry devices

The Ministry of the Environment has launched a massive program to replace energy-intensive household appliances, offering a subsidy of 30-50% to tens of thousands of households. By mid-February, subsidy checks had been issued for 281,000 air conditioners, 210,000 refrigerators and 60,000 freezers. Of these, 150,000 were purchased for air conditioners, 137,000 for refrigerators and 29,000 for freezers, that is, the same amount of old equipment was replaced. The goal of this program, which remains in place and payments continue, is not only to subsidize households that receive “e-vouchers”, but also to foster a culture of “decommissioning” energy-consuming appliances. The beginning was laid with air conditioners and refrigerators, in order to understand that “investment” in the replacement of an energy-intensive device can pay off in a fairly short period, even in 5-7 years. The following example proves the truth of the statement. The cost of a new electrical appliance – a refrigerator – is 450 euros. The new appliance consumes 250 kilowatt-hours per year instead of the 500 kilowatt-hours required by the old appliance to meet the household’s food refrigeration needs. With an average price per kilowatt-hour (including all fees charged by DEDDIE, ADMIE, etc.) of 25 to 27 cents per kilowatt-hour, the savings would be 65-70 euros per year. Thus, the consumer will return his money in 6-7 years. Theoretically, the lifespan of a refrigerator is at least twice as long, so investing in a replacement appliance could bring hundreds of euros in return. Even if there is a subsidy, it can be paid back even in 3-4 years. So what should each family do? Identify old devices that use a lot of power and consider replacing them as a priority. In particular, inverter-type air conditioners, which are now used all year round due to high natural gas and oil prices, covering both heating and cooling, can provide greater energy savings compared to the corresponding machines of 20 years ago. Replacing old energy-intensive devices has the advantage of not requiring large investments, as a few hundred euros are enough for a small household.

→ Energy protection of property

The rise in prices for metals and building materials has made energy protection measures more expensive. Despite this – the cost per square meter can even exceed 200-400 euros – the investment is worth it and is a priority, since the energy shield reduces the required energy – both in winter and in summer – by even 70%. The list of interventions that can be done on a property to bring about the desired result is very long. Priority is given to frame replacement. The installation of thermal facades causes more discomfort, but with a very large effect, while intervention with less cost, but with a satisfactory result, is the installation of shading. Energy protection is the fastest return on investment, as the annual return is huge, especially for areas with the most adverse weather conditions. What the example shows: Suppose a household does not change its heating source and insists on using fuel oil. For an apartment of 120 square meters, you will need to spend 2000 euros (in some area of ​​​​Central Greece with intermediate weather conditions) if the thermal insulation is insufficient. In the case of shielding, the cost will drop to 630 euros. We are talking about a profit of 1370 euros per year. So the investment of 14,000 euros only for heating needs will pay off in 10 years. In reality, the time will be much less, since it is also necessary to calculate the energy savings for cooling the room. It goes without saying that measures for the energy protection of the site dominate the list of possibilities of the “preservation” program. If there are subsidies, the payback is fast, even in less than 5-6 years. If the aforementioned property were located in Northern Greece, we would be talking about annual heating costs of around 3,400 euros per year, which with insulation could be reduced to 1,000 euros. And since the cost of energy protection does not vary significantly by geographic region, payback in the most unfavorable parts of the country is extremely fast.

→ Installation of thermostatic heads

Another relatively inexpensive intervention. Thermostatic heads are placed on radiator bodies and represent the simplest way to insulate rooms from the point of view of temperature. The logic is very specific and can be effectively applied, especially in houses with a large area: why heat all rooms in winter if they are not used? Why keep the temperature at 20 degrees Celsius in a room that is temporarily empty? The location of thermostatic heads is carried out locally on each radiator and gradually regulates the flow of hot water depending on the temperature of a particular room. Thus, if the thermostatic head is set to 15 degrees, since a particular room will not be used, then a particular body will consume almost no calories. Experts say that by operating a smaller part of the overall heating system, fuel savings of up to 30% can be achieved. Now the technology has advanced, and the temperature for each body can even be set remotely via the Internet.

→ Heat pump installation

As affected, consumers are particularly wary of proposals for heating solutions that use electricity as a source. The fact is that with the final payment for one kilowatt-hour, even reaching 0.27-0.28 euros – including due to disincentive measures established for those who show increased electricity consumption monthly – the risk that the bill for electricity will be overpriced despite government subsidies exist if it is loaded on electricity and heating costs, as well as the production of domestic hot water. On the other hand, a heat pump has the following characteristic: it uses only one kilowatt-hour of electricity to produce four kilowatt-hours of heat. So, if the payment for one kilowatt-hour of electricity is 28 cents, then the cost of a thermal kilowatt-hour is a quarter, that is, 7 cents. This price is lower than both oil (more than 12 cents at present) and natural gas (about 10-11 cents).

The data show that a heat pump – in fact, it can be connected to an existing radiator network and replace an oil burner, as well as installed in a separate apartment – is the cheapest source of heating, which is also confirmed by annual comparative studies conducted by the Athens National Steam Engine and Boiler Laboratory. technical university. On the other hand, of course, the installation of a pump requires a significant investment of several thousand euros. In addition to the cost of the machine, it can reach 9,000-11,000 euros, depending on the capacity (which in turn depends on the area of ​​​​the object), while also taking into account the cost of installation and additional equipment. You can pay off even after 7-8 years. To speed up the redemption process, this investment was included in shares subsidized under the “save” program. But again, we are talking about investments aimed at households that have the necessary liquidity.

How quickly payback can happen is shown in the following example. In an apartment of 120 square meters without satisfactory thermal insulation, the cost of heating using fuel oil – at a price of 1.25 euros per liter – is 2,000 euros per year. With a heat pump – and at the price of a kilowatt-hour for 25 minutes – the cost over the same time period will drop to 1100 euros. Thus, if the investment required for the installation of a heat pump reaches 9,000 euros, the payback will be in 10 years. And if the device is subsidized by a “preservation” program, then obviously much less time will be required.

For new buildings, this seems to be a very effective solution, and there is an additional argument: by placing a photovoltaic installation on the roof or on the roof, the annual costs of heating and hot water supply can even be reduced to zero. Heat pumps are gaining popularity in many European countries, as with technological advances they can cover heating needs even at very low temperatures. Recently, there has been a discussion that preparing new buildings for connection to the natural gas network is no longer mandatory if a pump is chosen as the heat source.