SEVEN TIPS TO REDUCE YOUR HEATING BILL INEXPENSIVELY

In collaboration with Sean Olivier, trained in architecture technology and communications manager for ERE132, Écohabitation offers a series of around fifteen bi-monthly chronicles on lessons learned from the experience of ERE132, as well as on issues sustainable development and interesting initiatives in the Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspé regions. The salty winter energy bills can motivate more than one to look for ways to reduce their heating expenses and improve their ecological footprint at the same time. And their motivating power is not trivial! Hydro-Québec estimates that the energy consumption of residential heating represents 54% of the consumption of the average household. Fortunately, there are easy ways to do this.

1. Do not overheat

The most simple and economical? Put on a woolen sweater. It's winter, after all! Dressing warmly lowers the comfort room temperature (the temperature at which one feels comfortable), thereby reducing the need for heating. Reducing the thermostat setting by one degree saves at least 5% on heating costs. A space heated to 19 ° C will require almost 15% less energy than if it is heated to 22 ° C. Annual savings of around $ 200 for an average single-family home.
Do not miss to test this thing this Thursday, February 4, during the National Day of the little wool 2016!

2. Control the room temperature

Does your home still have old mechanical thermostats? The electronic thermostats can help you reduce your heating bill by about 10%, and more if you install programmable thermostats, according to Hydro-Québec. If you are a low-income tenant or owner, you could get one for free through the Éconologis energy efficiency program.

read also save on heating cost

3. Optimize your outbreaks!

Do you heat with wood? Wood heating can have a very variable yield depending on the users. A good combustion technique reduces the consumption of wood and the formation of creosote, and therefore the need for sweeping and the pollution caused. Avoid covered fires and favor open fires. Learn about methods for both efficient and prolonged burning. In addition, EPA high-efficiency stoves can improve combustion efficiency, but most importantly, they greatly reduce pollutant emissions.

4. Adapt your interior design

Avoid placing furniture in front of a heat source as much as possible. The heat distribution will be more efficient.

5. Take advantage of the solar heat

During the day, let the sun in, open the curtains! The sun provides a lot of free energy. A principle that is also widely used in high-performance buildings of solar-passive design, as is the case for the ERE132 house.

6. Bet on waterproofing

Unless you live in a high-performance building, sealing your home can save you a lot. About 25% of the heat loss from a home is usually due to air leaks. Simple sealing means exist, without it being necessary to embark on major works. Note, however, that if you have significant humidity problems in winter and your home does not have a mechanical ventilation system, it is necessary to address this problem before undertaking sealing measures...

Installing heat-shrinkable plastic wrap or temporarily caulking openings are effective and cost-effective ways to deal with ineffective windows, as are insulating foam sheets designed specifically for electrical outlets. For more information and for more durable and permanent waterproofing work, the Canadian Office of Energy Efficiency's guide to " Imprisoning the Heat " is an interesting resource, as is the technical sheet Waterproofing: for an eco-energy and sustainable house prepared by Écohabitation!

7. Dress your windows

Have you ever heard that closing curtains or blinds at night can reduce energy loss through windows? In fact, it seems to be very limited. However, the presence of curtains will reduce the feeling of discomfort.

Other occlusion systems can save energy. The National Research Council of Canada compared different products to assess their performance. Roller shutters, which are installed outside the openings, are the most efficient, although the investment recovery period (PRI) is long. To learn more about roller shutters, read the detailed article on Ecohabitation on this subject.

Drivers transporting children in unsafe conditions may be fined by police

As of February 2015, drivers can only carry minors if they are wearing seat belts or if they are in a special child seat, according to road legislation. At the same time, drivers are not allowed to transport children in cars lacking safety systems. Persons who violate these obligations risk a fine of several hundred lei.

Seminar - The quality of the taxi service for persons: between tradition and innovation. Competitive effect vs. customer protection

The public safety, the quality of the taxi service and the safety of the passenger are factors that determined the analysis of the main reasons underlying the problems in the taxi markets, respectively the analysis of the impact of the innovative services on this activity carried out by the authorized carriers. Come on March 31, between 12:00 and 16:00, at the Wolters Kluwer Romania lecture hall, to discuss the legislative framework applicable to the taxi service and the alternative transport service, terminological issues: ride-sharing, car-sharing, carpooling, information society system and other interesting things.


Starting with the first part of last year, drivers have to meet new obligations when it comes to transporting children by car, otherwise, they can be sanctioned by police with a fine of 500 or 625 lei.

First and foremost, drivers must ensure that children either wear their seat belts or sit in an approved child restraint device, as provided by the Road Code: "Drivers having seats provided with seat belts they have the obligation to ensure that, while driving the vehicle, minors wear seat belts or are only transported in approved child restraint devices. " london minicab service

Then, the normative act prohibits the transport of children up to three years old in cars that do not have safety systems. However, exceptions to the rule are motor vehicles for public passenger transport and taxis, in the latter, it is necessary for the minors to stay in any place other than the one next to the driver and be supervised by another person.

If they are over three years old and have a height of up to 150 centimeters, minors can be transported in cars without safety systems only if they are staying in any place other than the one next to the driver, which is shown in the Road Code.

Persons who do not comply with these legal obligations may be penalized by police officers with four or five fine points. Specifically, given that the penalties for road traffic offenses have increased significantly since May 1, the sanctioned drivers must pocket 500 or 625 lei (information about the new fines applicable from May 1 is here ). In addition, the police also apply three penalty points for these violations.

Special belt or seat? It depends on the height of the childThe provisions of the Road Code regarding the transport of children are explained in the Regulation for the application of this normative act. Thus, when it comes to choosing the right safety system, drivers should take into account the height of the children.

Minors up to 135 cm in height must be "fastened or fastened with a child restraint installed in the vehicle", the regulation writes. As I wrote before, the obligation is not valid for public transportation and taxis, but it is mandatory for the minors to be supervised by another person besides the driver.

If they are over 135 cm in height, minors can be transported by car either by wearing a seat belt (which must be adjusted so that it does not pass through the neck or face area) or by sitting in the special child seat.

Regarding the child seat, the Regulation for the application of the Road Code states that it must be approved and installed on one of the rear seats of the car, as provided by the manufacturer's instructions. By way of exception, the child seats can also be mounted on the seat next to the driver (if the manufacturer has provided this possibility), but only if the car does not have the airbag corresponding to that place (or if the driver deactivates it).

Important! Minors for whom an exemption certificate has been issued for serious medical reasons, for which the wearing of safety systems is contraindicated, should not wear the seat belt or sit in the special child seat. In this case, minors must sit in one of the rear seats, and if they are under three years old, they need a supervisor (other than the driver).

TRAVEL AND GUARANTEE THE TRAVELER

THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS CONCRETE ROAD SAFETY, AND FOR MILLIONS OF TOURISTS A SIGH OF RELIEF. Already in September, the claim appeared in the streets of Turin, a symbol of the campaign promoted for Drager and Bus Company, united to guarantee motorists throughout Italy greater road safety.

The campaign opens the way to a much larger project, which aims to guarantee Italians and millions of tourists, legislative support, which helps to reduce the number of road accidents in practice. The goal is to obtain a law that obliges truck drivers and bus drivers to install Interlock first; successor to the breathalyzer, the new tool seems to be the turning point, because placed in the vehicle, it is able to inhibit its departure if the driver is unable to drive. The operation is practically identical to that of a breathalyzer, with the difference that now it will not be in the hands of the carabinieri, but of the vehicle itself, which if it detects alcohol when blowing, does not start. The device, admittedly, has potential, and if we combine this with the experience and reliability of two companies such as Drager and Bus Company, the result is perfect. Mothers from all over Italy will be able to go back to sleep peacefully, given that there is already talk of the possibility of installing Interlock in any vehicle. Heathrow Airport Minicabs Service

For the moment we must be content to see it in the ten buses, clearly signed Bus Company, which are the protagonist of the Turin campaign to raise awareness of the use of the device, which, moreover, is perfectly in line with the new harmonized code proposed by the European Union. Licenses from all over Europe, and soon also the Italian ones, will be subject to more restrictive EU rules, in order to achieve legislative harmonization, which is a guarantee for tourists and citizens of every state.

Of course, we are far from the solution, Interlock will not eliminate the millions of deaths from Italian roads, however, it will be a useful tool to help reduce them. So let's hope this isn't the usual simple campaign, let's hope it's the start of the change we needed.