How to effectively renovate your home to reduce energy consumption? Julie Frère, the spokesperson for Test Achats details several avenues and their effectiveness.
“Nearly 75% of household energy consumption is related to heating. So it is really on this item that we must focus as a priority. And to achieve this, the absolute watchword, it’s isolating. It doesn’t really make sense to install photovoltaic panels or change your heating system, as long as you haven’t drastically reduced basic needs. We are very far away in Belgium. We have the second most dilapidated building in Europe, we are fourth in terms of consumption per square meter. We absolutely have to remedy this problem. And to remedy this problem, we must limit heat loss by identifying where to start And it is at the level of the roof that there is the most heat loss: 30% of heat loss. 20% is linked to the walls. 15% for the windows. 10% for the floor”says Julie Frère.
How much can heat loss be reduced by insulating?
You can reduce up to 95% for the roof and the facades, 85% for the floor and the windows. In total, you can divide your energy consumption by two, or even more since you will have an increased feeling of comfort because your walls will be warmer and therefore you will tend to use your heating system much less.
What is the most profitable financially?
Test Achats started from the average price of the work to be carried out and looked for each type of work, how much it costs to save the same amount of energy, so one kilowatt-hour. What we see is that, for example, insulating a cavity wall or a roof yourself is four times more economically efficient than changing your boiler, for example. Insulating your floor or the ceiling of your cellar is almost three times more effective. The investment that is the least profitable is replacing your boiler.
Test Achats has set up a telephone line: 0800 29 116 to help people identify priorities and find out what bonuses they are entitled to.
