YOU NEED to cut some tiles, you have a baby, you break a leg. Hopefully not all at once, of course, but it does mean you'll need an angle-grinder or tile-cutter, a pram and cot and baby-carrier – and to employ...
Spain's energy-cutting strategy – and surprising hints for householders
11/10/2022
EVERY town council in Spain has been instructed to draw up an energy-saving plan by December 1 – and, although restrictions on Christmas lights have not been enforced, some have already announced a late-night switch-off this year.
Barcelona will turn its fairy lights off at 22.30, and the Galicia city of Vigo (Pontevedra province), world-famous for its festive illuminations, will do so at 00.30.
As the European Union has urged member States to cut down their gas consumption – which means saving electricity, too – by at least 5% this winter, Spain has drawn up 73 comprehensive measures to aid it in their goal.
At its most efficient, the steps taken could save up to 13.5%.
For the moment, the fuel reduction 'requirement' by the EU is not compulsory, merely a very strong recommendation and public appeal, but it could become mandatory if a 'real risk of supply shortage' occurs, according to Spain's minister for environment and energy, Teresa Ribera.
Should this ever arise, it will be industry and public administration that is ordered to cut down first, before any such steps have to be imposed on society.
Getting paid for voluntary power cuts?
Spain's government has been swift to quell rumours multiplying in cyberspace – that it intends to cut off the entire national electricity supply during 'peak' hours, or that the TV will go off after 22.30 – as the only deliberate power outage it has up its sleeve will be for emergencies, voluntary, and for industry only.
Given that Spain's gas ports supply 35% of Portugal's electricity and between 4% and 5% of that of France, its power reductions would not be as severe as for those member States which rely heavily on the Russian pipeline, and attempts to do so are partly to help slow down climate change as well as responding to any threat of fuel shortage.
But if drastic steps are needed to cut consumption, Sra Ribera's department has an unusual 'incentive' scheme up its sleeve.
Businesses which are in a position to accommodate it will be offered financial bonuses for agreeing to their electricity being cut off for up to three hours a day, with just 15 minutes' notice; but this will not be imposed upon any company.
Among the 73 energy-saving measures released are a list of steps households and certain types of trades can take to reduce their bills – many of which may not have ever occurred to either.
Milking the supply
Four full pages have been drafted just on cutting electricity when milking cows – everything from power potential controllers through to managing 'shifts' at the milking stations, from insulating floors, walls and ceilings in barns through to manually filling individual or group feeding troughs rather than using automatic distributors for entire herds.
Tractor-sharing has been proposed for neighbouring farms, in order to cut costs.
Companies in general have been urged to replace power-guzzling machinery with more energy-efficient versions, and will be given financial bonuses if they do.
These recommendations – for which State help towards costs is available – apply in particular to plant and equipment over 10 years old, especially refrigeration and compression machinery and industrial boilers.
A 'waste of space' could be a sun-trap
Corporate premises are being urged to use 'invisible space', such as rooftops and staff car parks which are not in public view, to fit solar panels. Installing them in what is effectively 'wasted space' means no negative visual impact, and the likelihood of generating enough electricity from the sun that businesses can share it with buildings around them.
An existing rule limiting renewable power-sharing to domestic or commercial premises no more than half a kilometre away has been removed, paving the way for excess green energy created being distributed across a much wider radius.
Solar panel 'communities', where resident groups or even entire villages contribute towards installation and maintenance, are actively encouraged, and additional tax breaks are due to be created for commercial and residential users of renewable off-grid energy.
This would be in addition to existing tax deductions, such as on IBI or property tax, and an extra half a billion euros will be added to the government pot for State help towards fitting solar panels on company and domestic buildings.
Until now, the fund has been in region of €900 million, but is already starting to run dry due to mass take-up.
Employees unplugged: Remote working and car-sharing
Firms are encouraged to arrange car-sharing platforms among staff, and to replace their vehicle fleet with electric versions – which will be part-funded through the MOVES Flotas scheme – as well as to draw up plans for 'sustainable transport' for employees.
These could take many forms, but might even include investing in electric mini-buses for staff, which may or may not involve a small fare to help towards costs but would be cheaper than using their own cars – especially for workplaces which are not conveniently accessible or not served at all by public transport.
Office workers are asked to turn their computers off at the mains when they clock off, rather than leaving them on stand-by, and firms should encourage working remotely wherever possible.
The Covid lockdown, which led to a huge percentage of the workforce setting up office at home – many for the first time in their lives – sparked a new law covering rights and obligations of employees and companies in terms of remote working.
No firm is allowed to oblige its employees to work from home if they do not wish to, where they have always been based on the company premises, and must cover all expenses incurred if staff opt to do so.
By contrast, staff cannot insist on working 100% from home, although firms are strongly encouraged to agree to at least part of the week being spent working remotely.
As well as offering flexibility and reducing 'empty' or 'unproductive' work-related time – such as commuting, ironing shirts or putting on makeup in the mornings – remote working means company premises use less electricity and water, and road traffic volume, with its corresponding emissions, accident rates and personal stress levels, are also dramatically cut.
But this 'remote' structure cannot legally be imposed; some employees may have a home life which makes it impossible to do so, such as in the case of dysfunctional families or domestic violence.
Water temperature: Comfort, skin and hair health, and energy efficiency
For households, many of the measures recommended – although in no way a legal requirement – are already well-known and practised by those seeking to keep their bills to the minimum.
Not leaving mobile phones and laptops on charge or electronics on stand-by, using LED lightbulbs and turning them off when leaving a room, taking short showers instead of baths, as well as more expensive methods such as insulating the home, fitting double-glazed windows, replacing appliances that wear out with the most energy-efficient models available, and changing petrol and diesel cars for an electric one – the government's MOVES III scheme offers grants towards doing so – have long been on the standard advice list, and some are more feasible than others.
But a handful of ideas Spain's government lists are not necessarily as obvious.
Nobody says you're a 'climate criminal' if you refuse to take cold showers, but one of the government's suggestions is keeping the water temperature to between 30ºC and 35ºC.
This is still at least as warm as a standard swimming pool, and plenty hot enough, Sra Ribera's department assures.
In fact, washing in water at 40ºC to 45ºC is not normally recommended anyway, for the good of your skin – high heat causes redness and broken veins, dryness, 'rebound' sebum production in young and oily complexions, and increases itchiness in atopic or sensitive skin.
Given that every degree lower means up to 7% less energy used, a 35ºC shower rather than a 40ºC one is just as comfortable, and cheaper.
It's also a good idea to wash your hands and face in cold water rather than hot – and even your hair.
Those with long hair will find washing it over the side of the bath with tepid, rather than warm water is surprisingly easy to get used to – much more so than the unpleasantness of a cold or tepid shower, which affects your whole body's thermal comfort rather than just your head.
Tepid water, or little more than lukewarm, is actually recommended by trichologists, who warn against very hot hair-washing water – but concur that there's no truth in the rumour that cold water 'closes the cuticles' and 'makes your hair shine'.
Conditioner does that, they say, and very cold water reduces circulation to the scalp, which can slow hair growth, but very warm water dries out your hair, irritates the skin and causes greasy roots due to compensatory overproduction of natural oils. Water with the chill off it is best, and most hair experts recommend less-frequent washing – once or twice a week, or no more than alternate days.
This advice, from leading trichology experts, will save energy and reduce your bills as well as giving you a healthier mane.
Cutting energy without freezing or frying
Cutting down on air-conditioning and fan use in high summer in Spain is extremely difficult, and the EU, with its recommended energy restrictions, has recognised this is the case for southern Europe as a whole and applied a little more leniency – keeping cool is a matter of health. Even though Mediterranean homes are typically built to keep the heat out rather than, as in northern and central Spain, to keep it in, cases of heatstroke during exceptional temperatures are reported to be more likely in a hot domestic environment with no outside space than among those in outdoor manual work.
For this reason, Spain's government recommends opening windows and doors in the very early hours if possible or, at least, first thing in the morning or last thing at night, to allow cooler air to circulate.
Tourists and new residents from colder countries often make the mistake of opening windows in the heat of the day instead, which simply lets hot air inside and exacerbates the problem.
In winter, 'a few minutes a day' is enough to ventilate a house and refresh the air, Sra Ribera's team says – any more and you will let out the heat, needing to rely more on artificial climate control to keep the temperature up.
Switching electric heaters or gas-bottle stoves for aero-thermic or geo-thermic heat pumps, or using biomass pellets for wood-burning stoves, are other ways of cutting fuel consumption whilst keeping warm.
Our own recommendation for the relatively short, mild Mediterranean winters, along with thermal undergarments – which are, indeed, on sale in Spain; check out national designer Ysabel Mora's ranges for men and women – is to invest in a plug-in heated blanket. These are usually low-consumption and warm enough that even northern European dwellers say they do not need the central heating on when they have one wrapped around them or thrown over them, are relatively affordable (about €40 or €50), and once the cable is disconnected, can be safely cleaned in a washing machine.
Room repainting: Why colour matters
As well as not leaving electronics on stand-by, those who have holiday homes or who are intending to be away for several weeks have been advised by Spain's government to turn off their fridges and freezers.
“These appliances account for up to 30% of your electricity bill,” Sra Ribera explains.
If your home is due a redecoration, opt for light-coloured paint – white or pastel shades, says the ministry for energy.
These tones make a room look instantly brighter, so you do not need to have lights on until night-time, even if your windows do not let much natural light in or it's a gloomy day with darker skies.
In fact, government offices are now strongly recommended to use light, bright shades of paint, to reduce the need for neon strip-lighting or spotlights typically found in indoor workplaces.
Driving differently to save fuel
Another proposal from the State is to 'teach efficient driving'. According to Sra Ribera's ministry, certain motoring techniques can cut petrol and diesel use by up to 10%.
Whilst 10% may not seem worth the effort, it's roughly the equivalent of €5 for a full tank in a small car, and is also the equivalent of one in 10 cars disappearing from the roads – in emissions terms, at least.
Driving schools in Spain are fixed premises and State-run, and offer all types of motoring skills courses – not just initial lessons for getting through a driving test. Teresa Ribera's team urges as many car-owners as possible to enquire about 'energy-efficient driving' courses, the cost of which they are likely to recoup in full through spending less on fuel. Techniques could include use of gears to optimise petrol use – too low or too high a gear means the car has to work harder.
Also, sticking to the speed limit when using motorways, as well as being far less dangerous and preventing fines and loss of licence points, uses less fuel. Those who habitually race along at 140 kilometres per hour instead of the maximum of 120 will normally burn petrol much faster.
And avoid revving up in traffic jams, but slip your car out of gear and pull on the handbrake if you're not going anywhere for a minute or two.
Related Topics
EVERY town council in Spain has been instructed to draw up an energy-saving plan by December 1 – and, although restrictions on Christmas lights have not been enforced, some have already announced a late-night switch-off this year.
Barcelona will turn its fairy lights off at 22.30, and the Galicia city of Vigo (Pontevedra province), world-famous for its festive illuminations, will do so at 00.30.
As the European Union has urged member States to cut down their gas consumption – which means saving electricity, too – by at least 5% this winter, Spain has drawn up 73 comprehensive measures to aid it in their goal.
At its most efficient, the steps taken could save up to 13.5%.
For the moment, the fuel reduction 'requirement' by the EU is not compulsory, merely a very strong recommendation and public appeal, but it could become mandatory if a 'real risk of supply shortage' occurs, according to Spain's minister for environment and energy, Teresa Ribera.
Should this ever arise, it will be industry and public administration that is ordered to cut down first, before any such steps have to be imposed on society.
Getting paid for voluntary power cuts?
Spain's government has been swift to quell rumours multiplying in cyberspace – that it intends to cut off the entire national electricity supply during 'peak' hours, or that the TV will go off after 22.30 – as the only deliberate power outage it has up its sleeve will be for emergencies, voluntary, and for industry only.
Given that Spain's gas ports supply 35% of Portugal's electricity and between 4% and 5% of that of France, its power reductions would not be as severe as for those member States which rely heavily on the Russian pipeline, and attempts to do so are partly to help slow down climate change as well as responding to any threat of fuel shortage.
But if drastic steps are needed to cut consumption, Sra Ribera's department has an unusual 'incentive' scheme up its sleeve.
Businesses which are in a position to accommodate it will be offered financial bonuses for agreeing to their electricity being cut off for up to three hours a day, with just 15 minutes' notice; but this will not be imposed upon any company.
Among the 73 energy-saving measures released are a list of steps households and certain types of trades can take to reduce their bills – many of which may not have ever occurred to either.
Milking the supply
Four full pages have been drafted just on cutting electricity when milking cows – everything from power potential controllers through to managing 'shifts' at the milking stations, from insulating floors, walls and ceilings in barns through to manually filling individual or group feeding troughs rather than using automatic distributors for entire herds.
Tractor-sharing has been proposed for neighbouring farms, in order to cut costs.
Companies in general have been urged to replace power-guzzling machinery with more energy-efficient versions, and will be given financial bonuses if they do.
These recommendations – for which State help towards costs is available – apply in particular to plant and equipment over 10 years old, especially refrigeration and compression machinery and industrial boilers.
A 'waste of space' could be a sun-trap
Corporate premises are being urged to use 'invisible space', such as rooftops and staff car parks which are not in public view, to fit solar panels. Installing them in what is effectively 'wasted space' means no negative visual impact, and the likelihood of generating enough electricity from the sun that businesses can share it with buildings around them.
An existing rule limiting renewable power-sharing to domestic or commercial premises no more than half a kilometre away has been removed, paving the way for excess green energy created being distributed across a much wider radius.
Solar panel 'communities', where resident groups or even entire villages contribute towards installation and maintenance, are actively encouraged, and additional tax breaks are due to be created for commercial and residential users of renewable off-grid energy.
This would be in addition to existing tax deductions, such as on IBI or property tax, and an extra half a billion euros will be added to the government pot for State help towards fitting solar panels on company and domestic buildings.
Until now, the fund has been in region of €900 million, but is already starting to run dry due to mass take-up.
Employees unplugged: Remote working and car-sharing
Firms are encouraged to arrange car-sharing platforms among staff, and to replace their vehicle fleet with electric versions – which will be part-funded through the MOVES Flotas scheme – as well as to draw up plans for 'sustainable transport' for employees.
These could take many forms, but might even include investing in electric mini-buses for staff, which may or may not involve a small fare to help towards costs but would be cheaper than using their own cars – especially for workplaces which are not conveniently accessible or not served at all by public transport.
Office workers are asked to turn their computers off at the mains when they clock off, rather than leaving them on stand-by, and firms should encourage working remotely wherever possible.
The Covid lockdown, which led to a huge percentage of the workforce setting up office at home – many for the first time in their lives – sparked a new law covering rights and obligations of employees and companies in terms of remote working.
No firm is allowed to oblige its employees to work from home if they do not wish to, where they have always been based on the company premises, and must cover all expenses incurred if staff opt to do so.
By contrast, staff cannot insist on working 100% from home, although firms are strongly encouraged to agree to at least part of the week being spent working remotely.
As well as offering flexibility and reducing 'empty' or 'unproductive' work-related time – such as commuting, ironing shirts or putting on makeup in the mornings – remote working means company premises use less electricity and water, and road traffic volume, with its corresponding emissions, accident rates and personal stress levels, are also dramatically cut.
But this 'remote' structure cannot legally be imposed; some employees may have a home life which makes it impossible to do so, such as in the case of dysfunctional families or domestic violence.
Water temperature: Comfort, skin and hair health, and energy efficiency
For households, many of the measures recommended – although in no way a legal requirement – are already well-known and practised by those seeking to keep their bills to the minimum.
Not leaving mobile phones and laptops on charge or electronics on stand-by, using LED lightbulbs and turning them off when leaving a room, taking short showers instead of baths, as well as more expensive methods such as insulating the home, fitting double-glazed windows, replacing appliances that wear out with the most energy-efficient models available, and changing petrol and diesel cars for an electric one – the government's MOVES III scheme offers grants towards doing so – have long been on the standard advice list, and some are more feasible than others.
But a handful of ideas Spain's government lists are not necessarily as obvious.
Nobody says you're a 'climate criminal' if you refuse to take cold showers, but one of the government's suggestions is keeping the water temperature to between 30ºC and 35ºC.
This is still at least as warm as a standard swimming pool, and plenty hot enough, Sra Ribera's department assures.
In fact, washing in water at 40ºC to 45ºC is not normally recommended anyway, for the good of your skin – high heat causes redness and broken veins, dryness, 'rebound' sebum production in young and oily complexions, and increases itchiness in atopic or sensitive skin.
Given that every degree lower means up to 7% less energy used, a 35ºC shower rather than a 40ºC one is just as comfortable, and cheaper.
It's also a good idea to wash your hands and face in cold water rather than hot – and even your hair.
Those with long hair will find washing it over the side of the bath with tepid, rather than warm water is surprisingly easy to get used to – much more so than the unpleasantness of a cold or tepid shower, which affects your whole body's thermal comfort rather than just your head.
Tepid water, or little more than lukewarm, is actually recommended by trichologists, who warn against very hot hair-washing water – but concur that there's no truth in the rumour that cold water 'closes the cuticles' and 'makes your hair shine'.
Conditioner does that, they say, and very cold water reduces circulation to the scalp, which can slow hair growth, but very warm water dries out your hair, irritates the skin and causes greasy roots due to compensatory overproduction of natural oils. Water with the chill off it is best, and most hair experts recommend less-frequent washing – once or twice a week, or no more than alternate days.
This advice, from leading trichology experts, will save energy and reduce your bills as well as giving you a healthier mane.
Cutting energy without freezing or frying
Cutting down on air-conditioning and fan use in high summer in Spain is extremely difficult, and the EU, with its recommended energy restrictions, has recognised this is the case for southern Europe as a whole and applied a little more leniency – keeping cool is a matter of health. Even though Mediterranean homes are typically built to keep the heat out rather than, as in northern and central Spain, to keep it in, cases of heatstroke during exceptional temperatures are reported to be more likely in a hot domestic environment with no outside space than among those in outdoor manual work.
For this reason, Spain's government recommends opening windows and doors in the very early hours if possible or, at least, first thing in the morning or last thing at night, to allow cooler air to circulate.
Tourists and new residents from colder countries often make the mistake of opening windows in the heat of the day instead, which simply lets hot air inside and exacerbates the problem.
In winter, 'a few minutes a day' is enough to ventilate a house and refresh the air, Sra Ribera's team says – any more and you will let out the heat, needing to rely more on artificial climate control to keep the temperature up.
Switching electric heaters or gas-bottle stoves for aero-thermic or geo-thermic heat pumps, or using biomass pellets for wood-burning stoves, are other ways of cutting fuel consumption whilst keeping warm.
Our own recommendation for the relatively short, mild Mediterranean winters, along with thermal undergarments – which are, indeed, on sale in Spain; check out national designer Ysabel Mora's ranges for men and women – is to invest in a plug-in heated blanket. These are usually low-consumption and warm enough that even northern European dwellers say they do not need the central heating on when they have one wrapped around them or thrown over them, are relatively affordable (about €40 or €50), and once the cable is disconnected, can be safely cleaned in a washing machine.
Room repainting: Why colour matters
As well as not leaving electronics on stand-by, those who have holiday homes or who are intending to be away for several weeks have been advised by Spain's government to turn off their fridges and freezers.
“These appliances account for up to 30% of your electricity bill,” Sra Ribera explains.
If your home is due a redecoration, opt for light-coloured paint – white or pastel shades, says the ministry for energy.
These tones make a room look instantly brighter, so you do not need to have lights on until night-time, even if your windows do not let much natural light in or it's a gloomy day with darker skies.
In fact, government offices are now strongly recommended to use light, bright shades of paint, to reduce the need for neon strip-lighting or spotlights typically found in indoor workplaces.
Driving differently to save fuel
Another proposal from the State is to 'teach efficient driving'. According to Sra Ribera's ministry, certain motoring techniques can cut petrol and diesel use by up to 10%.
Whilst 10% may not seem worth the effort, it's roughly the equivalent of €5 for a full tank in a small car, and is also the equivalent of one in 10 cars disappearing from the roads – in emissions terms, at least.
Driving schools in Spain are fixed premises and State-run, and offer all types of motoring skills courses – not just initial lessons for getting through a driving test. Teresa Ribera's team urges as many car-owners as possible to enquire about 'energy-efficient driving' courses, the cost of which they are likely to recoup in full through spending less on fuel. Techniques could include use of gears to optimise petrol use – too low or too high a gear means the car has to work harder.
Also, sticking to the speed limit when using motorways, as well as being far less dangerous and preventing fines and loss of licence points, uses less fuel. Those who habitually race along at 140 kilometres per hour instead of the maximum of 120 will normally burn petrol much faster.
And avoid revving up in traffic jams, but slip your car out of gear and pull on the handbrake if you're not going anywhere for a minute or two.
Related Topics
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