networkn:

 

That's impressive. How if you don't mind me asking, did you do that?

 

For heat: reducing the room temperature (in winter) by an 1 DegC step saves roughly 6% of energy. We have district heating supply and have always had the thermostats at a constant value. The smart thermostats now ensure that the room temperature is lowered at night and when we are away. That's where the biggest savings are (in cold weather), because no one used to operate the manual thermostats all the time. We have 20.5 DegC max. and 16 DegC when the house becomes quiet at night.

For electricity: I replaced all older kitchen equipment by the newest low energy standard and banned deep freezing devices to the basement (because it‘s colder there). Smart LED lighting adapts to presence detection in the relevant room only. The IT infrastructure rack i.e. has been optimized by virtual machines instead of many physical (and old) server technology. I took the trouble to put every single device to the test and you wouldn't believe how much savings potential there is in those little mains adapters that come with every tech gimmick these days.

For water: Well, that is highly individual and personal. Without being a dirty little piggy, you can ask yourself if you have to shower EVERY day (no, you don't HAVE to - but that's a highly personal decision). In addition, we use power-hungry instantaneous water heaters for heating water here (which also has advantages, however, as heating only takes place when hot water is needed). There is also potential for savings in the amount of water used to flush the toilet - without adjustment, 9 litres of the best drinking water rush through the bowl. I have changed the plant watering to drip instead of spray and made it smart.

For fuel: Well, here the saving comes from the fact that I no longer drive to work since the beginning of last year. However, customer visits in special cases have also been added to this. Otherwise, the savings would be higher. But also by questioning whether I have to use the car instead of the bicycle or the underground for every errand brings some savings. Furthermore, I got myself a cheap public transport ticket that I can use throughout the city (except on weekdays from 6-9h a.m. and 4-6h p.m.). Furthermore, the government has decided to introduce a 49€/month public transport ticket for everyone. With this, one will be able to travel all over Germany (except for high-speed connections).

None of this is rocket science and most of it has been known for a long time. It's just the inner pig of habits that needs to be conquered. Oh well, I'm not a bean counter and run after the last crumb of possible savings, but obvious waste doesn't have to be either. 😉

networkn:

 

Also, how did you measure? Year on Year utility bill comparison?

 

Nope, we have calibrated meters for electricity, natural gas (not applicable to our household), water and district heating for billing with the providers. The electricity meter is even smart and can be read out online at any time.