Domestic households pay the most attention to reducing energy consumption

Energy plays a huge role in the lives of people in the 21st century, it is not only indispensable in the economy, but also ensures the comfort of our everyday lives. Leaving behind transport, industry, services and agriculture, the largest part of energy consumption comes from households. However, the population’s everyday energy consumption and the irrational use of energy cause many negative changes in nature, causing significant environmental pollution and the depletion of energy sources through the emission of greenhouse gases.  One of the priority tasks of current education is therefore to prepare the young generation for new environmental challenges and emerging problems. The role of environmental education has grown significantly in recent decades, and although since the introduction of the National Basic Curriculum it has been one of the mandatory basic tasks of public education, according to the October survey by P&G, green education only takes place in nearly two-thirds of primary schools. 61 percent of the respondents are basically satisfied with the quality of education, and almost all families (93%) use the knowledge gained from school at home. According to the survey, environmentally conscious living is a topic in two-fifths of elementary schools on a weekly basis, and in one-quarter monthly or less often.

 Hungary is a big energy consumer

Based on the latest data from the KSH, the energy consumption of the domestic population increased by 8.8 percent between 2010 and 2021, and according to this year’s Eurostat data, the energy consumption of the Hungarian population is 32%, which exceeds the European average. In addition to skyrocketing energy prices, it is therefore not surprising that 79 percent of respondents are currently paying the most attention to reducing energy consumption in their homes. This is followed by the effort to collect waste selectively and reduce water consumption. P&G’s educational aid presented last year dedicates a separate chapter to reducing energy consumption at home and not only offers students theoretical material, but also demonstrates optimal energy use with the help of specific examples, homework and calculations, and contains many energy-reducing tips in a way that children can understand. Based on three basic themes – energy consumption, water consumption and waste management – ​​the educational aid is highly interactive and offers useful practical guidance to both teachers and students. The help is available here: https://hu.pg.com/oko-szokasok-oktatasi-segedanyagok/

 Energy reduction tips for home:

LIGHTING

• maximum use of sunlight
• use of energy-saving light bulbs
• use of spotlights
• light up outdoors with a motion sensor!
• do not leave the lights on in empty rooms!

TELEVISION

• do not leave it in standby mode!
• switching on energy-saving mode
• using a television with a high energy efficiency rating
• switch off if we plan a break longer than two hours

COMPUTER

• adjusting the brightness of the monitor
• use sleep mode during breaks
• Use of an LCD monitor
• activation of energy-saving mode
• switch off if you plan to take a break longer than two hours or switch to sleep mode

REFRIGERATOR

• place in a cool place, away from stoves and heating equipment!
• ensure good ventilation, keep it 4-5 cm away from the wall!
• regularly clean the inside of the refrigerator and defrost it!
• check the seals and tightness of the door!
• do not put hot food in the refrigerator!
• keep the refrigerator door open for as little time as possible!
• buy a refrigerator with a high energy efficiency class!

DISHWASHER

• only start it fully loaded!
• if necessary, choose a short wash cycle!
• by using the 3 in 1 function, the dishwasher system recognizes the detergent and selects the appropriate program based on this
• use of the delayed start function in the case of dual energy tariff versions
• the function of automatically selecting the amount of water and the temperature depending on the degree of soiling of the dishes

WASHING MACHINE

• wash only with a full load!
• if necessary, choose a short wash cycle!
• wash at the lowest possible temperature (30°C)
• use of effective detergents even when washing cold
• purchase of a washing machine with a high energy efficiency class
• use of the delayed start function in the case of a double energy tariff

Other:

• do not leave chargers in the outlet
• always only boil the necessary amount of water in the kettle!
• adjust the vacuum cleaner according to the surface to be vacuumed, change the dust container regularly, clean the air filter and replace it if necessary!
• use only the necessary amount of hot water heated by an electric boiler!