The high price of sanctions against Russia: “Thermal insulation of walls, doors and windows, washing clothes in cold water”

The price of anti-Russian sanctions will be very heavy for the Greek people, who will have to use all available means of saving to survive the coming winter.

The Mitsotakis government is suggesting that we “isolate unused areas in our homes, close doors and windows, wash clothes in a washing machine at low temperatures, and reduce the brightness of screened appliances as much as possible.”

In other words, the Greeks in their homes should “reduce the energy consumption”, at least in terms of their use, people should walk around in dirty clothes (they do not wash with cold water, and everyone knows this), live like “moles” inside their houses and find a way to “seal” the doors and windows. In a word, the Greeks will have to relive the 1950s, but with the infrastructure of 2022.

Minister Kostas Skrekas, during the announcement of the October subsidies, stressed that from today all citizens can go to the website of the Ministry of Environment and Energy and find 23 proposals and ideas for energy saving. Of course, these are not the only ones, as the ministry has published a “rich” list of… saving methods.

In particular, these proposals include:

• Isolation of unused premises.
• Closing radiators and interior doors (if any) leading into hallways or near stairs. This closes off natural air passages, preventing warm air from escaping through the house.
• Switching off unused heating batteries.
• “Freedom” of radiators – they should not be closed, for example, with lids, cloth and should not be blocked by furniture.

Sealing doors and windows:

• It is necessary to install sealing (insulation) tapes or, at a minimum, close the windows with curtains. According to research (DOE), curtains, if drawn, can reduce heat loss from a room by 10%. It is also recommended to stick plastic film on windows and glass doors, as well as on doors leading to rooms that we do not use.
• The insulating rubber on the refrigerator, freezer and oven doors should be checked to make sure they are making good contact and there is no loss of energy (loss of cooling).
• Limit the amount of time we leave the refrigerator door open. In this way, we minimize the temperature recovery time (loss of cooling, refrigerator light), thereby reducing the consumption from the operation of the refrigeration unit.

Thermostat adjustment:

• We set the cooling system of the refrigerator and freezer to a higher temperature.
• The water heater, on the contrary, is set to a lower temperature.
• The air conditioner (if it works for heating) is adjusted to a lower temperature during our absence from the house. Also during sleep, we can lower the temperature by 2 degrees.

As well as:

• Keep household appliances (such as refrigerator, freezer and dryer) away from heat sources.
• Wash clothes in the washing machine at the lowest possible temperature.
• Turn off electrical appliances when they are In standby.
• When the fireplace is not in use, the chimney must be closed with a damper.
• We turn off the oven 10-15 minutes before the end of cooking, as there is enough heat for cooking.
• The cookware must fit snugly against the burners of the stove.
• Whenever possible, we use a pressure cooker when cooking.
• We reduce the brightness as much as possible on devices with a screen (for example, PCs, TVs).
• Installing a programmable thermostat. It allows you to set temperatures for different times of the day. A programmable thermostat allows you to save money on both air conditioning and heating.
• Installation of thermostatic valves in heating radiators. They allow you to automatically regulate the flow of hot water in accordance with the desired temperature in each individual room. They are placed locally on each radiator and gradually regulate the flow of hot water. In this way, each radiator becomes independent and automatically turns off when the desired temperature is reached, while other rooms that require heating continue to work.
• Install compensation systems in the heating boiler.
• Regularly service the heating/cooling system, such as the boiler, heat pumps, air conditioners.
• Install a solar water heater.
• Replace household appliances with highly energy efficient appliances based on the energy labeling system and EnergyStar specifications.
• Replace incandescent and HID lamps with LED technology.
• Replace old wooden window frames with new ones, aluminum or plastic, with high energy efficiency.
• Install electronic energy management systems.

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