How we can save energy in our home – The government’s scheme

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Buildings built before 1980 are the biggest problem

The energy crisis that has been affecting Europe for months and is expected to cause many difficulties in the coming winter has created the need to find ways to energy saving.

One of the biggest problems in Greece is that a very large number of properties were built before the 1980s with completely different specifications resulting in high cooling and heating losses, which has become extremely costly in recent times due to energy prices that are increasing internationally.

According to the experts, targeted interventions done in the right way are likely to reduce the energy requirement of the residence by more than 30%. As he explains to APE-MPE the civil engineer Spyros Rizos the percentage of reduction in a home’s energy demand that is then shown on energy bills is to do with the money one has available to invest in its energy shield. Under energy pressure, interest is already high in home changes that can de-escalate bills even a little.

Starting from the simple to the complex, Mr. Rizos mentions the available interventions that one can do in his home: installation of thermostatic valves, replacement of conventional lamps with LEDs, installation of a solar water heater, replacement of air conditioning units with more modern ones, installation of external shading systems (pergolas, awnings, etc.), upgrading of heating-cooling systems, installation of thermal insulation systems, replacement of frames with heat-break frames and replacement of glass panes with energy-efficient ones. These interventions mainly concern older houses, since as the civil engineer notes “in a new house I don’t need to recommend anything because these are the studies that cover everything. Everything is designed with bioclimatic architecture, all materials are new and modern. In other words, the interventions I mentioned already exist in the new houses. Especially in the houses of the last decade.”

The interventions those in older homes if done as a whole are likely to reduce a home’s energy demand by up to 38% if done as a whole. Mr. Rizos emphasizes, however: “One will not see a 30-35% difference in the total bill, there will be a 30-35% reduction in the energy consumed at home, because the fixed costs, etc. must also be calculated” and adds: “The works mentioned above have a cost of around 25-30,000 euros. As long as it is approximately the maximum percentage that is subsidized by Execonomou. The payback for this money is after about five years, however all this work on a property that is before the 1980s will, among other things, increase its objective value, you give a capital gain. And with this alone you make the depreciation indirectly. In other words, it is certain that you raise its price”.

Besides, with the interventions that shield a house energetically, its heating becomes more efficient, that is, it becomes warmer, which is very difficult to achieve in old houses with decades-old frames, for example, even if one spends a lot of money.

But apart from these changes, there are also some daily habits that one can do in order to see their energy bills decrease, even if only slightly. “For example, in the summer we can ventilate the house in the evening hours when the temperature is lower, or we can not use devices that produce heat in the midday hours, such as the electric iron or the stove. Or we can run the refrigerator, not on the maximum scale but on the medium scale. Or some devices that we want to turn off, the TV for example, or the computer, don’t put them in stand by mode but turn them off completely from on/off. Also, during the midday hours, use the shading systems and the internal ones, that is, try to have the blinds closed as well because they keep the temperature in the house lower. These are simple things that everyone knows, but no one does, and it would be good.”

The “Save” program

In response to the great interest in “green” home renovations in Greece, the Ministry of the Environment recently announced that the 47,433 runners-up are also eligible in principle.

Thus, the “Save 2021” budget increases by 591.7 million euros and amounts to a total of 1.2 billion euros (increase rate of 94%). In total, the beneficiaries of the program are now 87,578 households.

Those of the beneficiaries who have a complete electronic building identity can start the energy upgrade interventions, related to the percentage of their own participation in the Program.

“Save 2021” is the first building energy upgrade program with a separate budget for vulnerable households. This support for the economically weaker is increased by 81.8 million euros and concerns 5,890 households. Thus, a total of 14,246 of our most vulnerable fellow citizens are supported with 201.8 million euros.

RES-EMP

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