Although electricity and water are included in the rent in TYS’s apartments, it is good to remember that energy consumption also has an impact on the environment and is also a cost for TYS.
Saving energy is important for mitigating climate change, securing energy supply, reducing the need for imported energy, reducing energy costs and protecting the environment.
Housing and related energy use account for almost a third of the household carbon footprint. Therefore, in order to reduce the environmental impact of housing, it is essential to focus on energy saving.
Energy is consumed to produce water and electricity used by households, such as hot water. Did you know that for example one minute in the shower consumes 12 litres of water, i.e. more than one bucket? For example, a fifty-minute shower consumes 120 litres of hot water, which requires 4 kWh of energy to produce. With the same energy, you vacuum your home for four hours.
Energy saving starts with small changes in day-to-day life. We have compiled tips below on how you can in your own daily life you can easily save water and electricity and at the same time take part in combatting climate change.
Water consumption
Reduce the time you spend in the shower
The largest household water glutton, shower, where you more likely spend more time than you should. Long showers consume a lot of water and heating energy. By reducing the time you spend in the shower, you can save tens of litres of water per shower, as one minute in the shower consumes approximately 12 litres of water.
For example, by switching to a daily 10-minute shower that consumes 120 litres of water to a 7-minute shower, you will already save 26 litres of water per shower. Five-minute shower
Few of us like cold showers and showering therefore, heating energy is also needed to produce the hot water used. For example, 4 kWh of energy is needed to heat 120 litres of water used in a ten-minute shower.
With the same energy
- you um your apartment for 4 hours
- you watch TV for 48 hours
- you use the computer for 28 hours
You should also be careful about other bathroom water use habits. For example, you should close the tap during brushing your teeth. When running water for 2 minutes while brushing your teeth, approximately 12 litres of water/brush will flow down the drain.
Laundry and dishes
The most energy-efficient way to wash laundry and dishes is to use a dedicated washing machine. Wash full loads and use rapid and saving programs whenever possible. However, not everyone has machines of their own. In this case, however, it is good to remember that dishes or laundry should be washed under running water. When running water for 1 minute, approximately 12 litres of water per minute flows down the drain.
Monitoring the condition of water fixtures
By monitoring the condition of your home’s water fixtures, such as toilet bowls and faucets, and reporting any leaks to TYS, you can save a large amount of water. A toilet seat bowl leak can consume a few litres per hour, making up to 30,000 litres a week, or 3,000 buckets. So if the faucet, for example, drips, tell us and we will fix the leak and water will not be wasted.
Monitor your own water consumption if your apartment has a water meter
Some of TYS’s housing locations (Aitiopaikka, Haliskylä and Yo-talot) have apartment-specific water meters that indicate the amount of hot and cold water consumed. The meter allows the tenants to monitor their own water consumption and make changes to their own water use if necessary. For example, can you reduce your water consumption from last month, even just by reducing the time you spend in the shower?
Electricity consumption
Heating
TYS’s apartments are heated by water-circulating radiators, which therefore also need heating energy to produce the hot water used. At TYS, the temperature of the apartments is regulated by building automation, which regulates the water circulating in the radiators according to the outdoor temperature, so that when the radiator thermostats are turned to the “maximum position”, the thermostat aims to keep the room at +21 degrees. So, you can adjust the temperature of your home to be cooler, but not warmer. Lowering the room temperature by one degree saves five percent of heating energy.
It is important for heating that the heating energy is used as efficiently as possible. The following things should therefore be taken into account in the apartment:
- Make sure that there are no curtains or large furniture in front of the thermostat or radiator – they can distort the thermostat’s observations and prevent heat from entering the room air from the radiator.
- If the windows in your apartment have ventilation valves, be sure to adjust their position correctly to summer or winter according to the season. By adjusting the valve correctly, you make sure that heating energy is not wasted. PLEASE NOTE! The ventilation valve must never be blocked, as it will interfere with the ventilation system!
- If you suspect that your apartment is cooler than the target temperature, you can pick up a thermometer from the tenant office and check if the temperature is repeatedly or for a long time well below the recommendations (19°C-22°C) by measuring at a height of 1.1 metres, at least 0.6 metres from the wall. If the temperature is below the recommended one, report the fault via your tenant pages.
- The use of an auxiliary heater in the apartments is not recommended as it consumes electricity and can interfere with the normal heating system. The apartment’s heating system interprets that the apartment is warmer than the target temperature and stops heating the apartment completely.
- Also, the apartment should never be heated with the oven, as the oven consumes a huge amount of electricity, keeping the oven door open is a safety risk and may break the oven control knobs.
Electrical appliances and light fixtures
By paying attention to your own usage habits for electrical appliances and light fixtures, you can easily save electricity. Even small actions and changes create savings. Here are some tips for saving electricity:
Lighting
- replace incandescent and halogen bulbs with LED or energy saving bulbs
- illuminate as needed
- turn off the lights when leaving the room.
Household appliances
- Standby power consumption of electronic devices can be reduced by turning off the devices overnight.
- Do not leave the charger in the wall socket after use
- If the appliance does not have an on/off switch, it is advisable to connect the appliance to an extension cord with a switch and switch it off for the night and for longer absences.
- The condition of the refrigeration equipment should be taken care of. Clean and defrost the refrigerator and freezer regularly. Ensure the air circulation of the refrigeration equipment and adjust the temperatures according to the instructions.
- Use the microwave to heat and cook small portions of food.
- Use the electric stove and oven efficiently. Utilize the oven preheat and residual heat in cooking. Only keep the cooker hood on as needed.
- Wash full loads and use rapid and saving programs whenever possible. Wash at low temperatures.
