The energy crisis become the main topic in the public these days, especially before the upcoming heating season. On the first cold days, we got an appeal from the media to try to be more energy efficient and to take care of the energy that we use every day.

The Government of Serbia has published recommendations on how to reduce electricity and heating consumption to reduce the impact of a potential energy crisis on Serbia.

We have created a list of simple and practical advise which you can use in everyday life to reduce the consumption of electrical energy and even reduce your electricity bills:

1. 1. On your windows and doors, you can put selling strips which will reduce the “leakage” of heat from the space. During the night you need to draw curtains and lower the blinds to reduce heat loss through the glass surfaces of the room. You shouldn’t avoid ventilating your rooms, ventilate the room several times a day but only for 5 minutes.
   2. Move all furniture and curtains which cover the heating elements in your home to ensure free airflow around them. Behind the radiator, place reflective foils to direct most of the heat towards the room.
   3. During the day maximize the use of daily light. Switch to the use of LED light bulbs instead of regular ones and turn off the lights when they’re not in use.
   4. Try to use electrical appliances that are a big consumer of electricity such as water heater and washing machine at night when electricity is cheap. Regular cleaning of scale from the boiler heater can help to reduce electricity waste, the same as removing ice deposits from refrigerators and freezers.
   5. During cooking, use the lid on the bowl, and choose the ring according to the size of the bowl. Turn off the stove and oven 5-10 minutes before the end of cooking in order to use the accumulated heat, and do not open the oven door before it is necessary, as this lowers the temperature by 15°C.

Bonus tip:

• If you are planning to change or renovate your home, and installation of PVC joinery pay attention to the number of chambers of the frame and the number of glasses. A greater number of chambers and glasses ensures better thermal insulation.The basis of energy efficiency is preventive action, not only when it comes to a potential energy crisis, but primarily the protection of the environment through the preservation of resources.

The production of electricity in Serbia emits most of the GHG emissions that lead to the greenhouse effect in Serbia.

More than half of produced electrical energy is spent precisely in households.

Saving and reducing the consumption of electricity and heat make a direct impact on environmental protection and reduction of climate change, and these are the main objectives of the EU environmental protection policy that Serbia is trying to follow through chapter 27.

One of the objectives of the EU until 2030 is to increase energy efficiency by 32.5%, along with reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40%, which Serbia should also achieve.

The text was written in collaboration with Vojvodina Environmental Movement and Network of Good Energy.