There are therefore a few good habits to keep in order to reduce your gas and electricity consumption, and thus avoid unpleasant surprises. Reflexes that are already well anchored in our habits, since the average consumption of gas and electricity has been falling in Belgium for two years. On the business side too, efforts have been made, sometimes in a forced manner, for those who could no longer pay their energy bills.
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On the public buildings side, a major plan was put in place two years ago.The goal was to reduce consumption by 15 percent compared to the average of the last five years. Thanks to this plan, the temperature in all federal public buildings has been lowered to 19 degrees in winter, and in summer the air conditioning will be set to a maximum of 27 degrees. Not only are the temperatures being adjusted, but the lighting in federal buildings and monuments is also being switched off between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m.“, recalls the office of Mathieu Michel, Secretary of State in charge of the buildings authority. For this winter, we are confirmed that the same measures will be put in place.
The question of public lighting can also be asked. The vast majority of Belgian municipalities had decided to turn off their street lights between midnight and 5am, the same on major regional roads and motorways. A logical decision given the context, but many residents were calling for the return of night lighting with the drop in energy prices, at least for dangerous roads and some streets that are more difficult to access.
To meet the various demands, Ores, the network manager that covers the largest territory in Wallonia, has planned three options for the municipalities on its network. First, conventional ignition, which was in force before the energy crisis.This option does not generate any change compared to 2021 consumption.“
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Then there is the option of general extinction, every day from midnight to 5 a.m.This option generates a consumption saving of 4% to 40% depending on the municipality“, says Ores. Finally, an intermediate option provides for a “switching on public lighting during the week from sunset to midnight and from 5 a.m. to sunrise. On weekend nights (Friday to Saturday and Saturday to Sunday) and on public holidays, public lighting is switched on from sunset to sunrise. This option generates a consumption saving of 3% to 30% depending on the municipality“.
More rural municipalities such as Écaussines, Genappe, Ittre, Bastogne, Bouillon and Ouffet have opted for option 3. For option 1, the one before the crisis, some municipalities such as Spa, Verviers, Bertrix and Lobbes have returned to it.
In the Charleroi-Mons-La Louvière area, all the municipalities no longer choose option 2, but opt in most cases for option 3. The opposite is true in Walloon Brabant, however.
To return to the possible savings on the private network, a few gestures can help to get by. We have already mentioned the increase in rates on fixed contracts compared to August, an increase that should follow variable contracts at the beginning of October, if the situation continues. So now is not the time to change, it is better to wait until the end of the month.
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On the other hand, it is good to find out about group purchases. In the middle of the crisis, they had been put on hold, in particular because of the elimination of fixed contracts. They are now becoming useful again with the advantage of taking advantage of the number of customers to create competition between the different suppliers. At present, some are promising hundreds of euros of savings compared to the most expensive contracts.
Finally, it’s fall cleaning time for outdoor items, including solar panels.Cleaning your solar panels regularly is not just a question of aesthetics. Indeed, when dirt accumulates significantly on them, they can lose efficiency. Even if the losses recorded are not dramatic (of the order of 2% to 7%), it would be a shame to leave solar panels without cleaning them for a long time.“, says Engie.
