Reducing Electricity Use Outside the Heating Season

Outside the heating season, a household's electricity use is determined mostly by the air conditioner, the fridge and freezer, the electric water heater, devices left on standby, and washing and drying. With a moderate air-conditioning setting, shading, a timer on the water heater, switching off standby devices and actually turning off supplementary heaters, your electricity bill can be noticeably reduced in summer too.

At the end of the heating season many people breathe a sigh of relief, yet saving energy is not just a winter job. Just as in winter we pay attention to running infrared heating or underfloor heating economically, in summer habits matter a great deal too. Below we go through where the most electricity goes in the warm months and what you can do about it.

The big summer consumers

In winter, heating takes the larger share of energy - whether it is ceiling heating, wall heating, heating film or an older heating film system. In summer other appliances come to the fore; we write about the consumption and running costs of heating on a separate page.

1. Cooling - the biggest summer consumer

In a heatwave, using the air conditioner is the biggest item. A few simple habits can save a lot:

• Moderate setting: do not overcool your home. 24-26°C usually feels pleasant and needs far less electricity than 20-22°C. According to a 2022 recommendation by the International Energy Agency (IEA), setting the air conditioner 1 °C warmer can reduce its electricity use by up to 10%.
• Shading: keep the sun out with roller shutters, louvred shutters, blackout curtains or an external awning. After sunset, when it is cooler outside, ventilate thoroughly.
• Clean filters: air flows more easily through regularly cleaned filters; a clogged filter worsens air quality and increases consumption.
• Timer and thermostat: the air conditioner should only run when it is really needed; with smart control it can also be adjusted remotely.
• Fan: the air movement from a ceiling fan or a good-quality standing fan eases the heat for very little electricity.

You will find more practical advice in our article 5 useful tips for using your air conditioner.

2. Fridge and freezer - they run 24 hours a day

• The right temperature: the generally recommended values are around +5°C in the fridge and -18°C in the freezer. A colder setting needlessly increases consumption.
• A good location: do not place it next to a cooker or radiator or in direct sun, and leave space behind it for ventilation.
• An intact seal: cold constantly escapes through a door that does not close properly, and the appliance works harder.
• Defrosting and cleaning: ice build-up reduces efficiency; defrost the freezer regularly and dust the heat exchanger at the back.
• Sensible use: do not put hot food in, and open the door only briefly.

3. Water heating

An electric water heater can be a significant consumer outside the heating season too.

• Temperature: do not set it higher than necessary; stay within the range recommended by the manufacturer - water that is too hot is wasted energy, and more limescale forms.
• Timer: if you do not need hot water all day, a timer can heat it just before morning and evening use. Switch it off for longer absences.
• Showers instead of baths: showering uses less hot water.
• Instantaneous water heater: worth considering where little water is drawn (for example at a washbasin): it also heats with electric resistance, but only when water is being used, with no storage losses.

Hidden consumers and everyday habits

Besides the big consumers there are many smaller items that, added together, are already noticeable on the bill.

1. Standby consumption

Televisions, computers, chargers, coffee machines and many other devices use electricity even when switched off, in standby. Each uses little, but with many devices, added up over a whole year, it can become a noticeable item.

• Unplugging: unplug devices you are not using - especially chargers, which can draw power even without a phone attached.
• Power strip with a switch: disconnects all the connected appliances at the press of a button.
• Before a short trip too: it is worth switching things off even for an absence of a few days, though it is not strictly necessary.

A device that is disconnected from power does not create an electric field either; you can read about what electrosmog means in the home, and what we measured with heating film, on a separate page.

2. Lighting

• Natural light: make use of daylight during the day.
• LED: LED light sources use little electricity and last a long time.
• Switching off: when you leave a room, turn off the light.

3. Kitchen

• Kettle: boil only as much water as you need, and descale it regularly.
• Microwave oven: more economical than a conventional oven for heating small portions.
• Oven: do not keep opening it while baking, because every opening lets a lot of heat escape; you can switch it off a few minutes before the end and the residual heat will finish the job.
• Induction hob: it heats the pan directly, so it is more economical than a conventional electric hob.

4. Washing and drying

• Full loads: always run the washing machine full.
• Lower temperature: most clothes will come out clean at 30-40°C, which saves a lot of energy compared with a 60°C wash.
• Drying outdoors: in summer, hang the laundry outside; a tumble dryer uses a lot of electricity.
• Less ironing: clothes that are shaken out well and hung neatly often need no ironing, or only a quick one.

5. Supplementary heaters in summer

• Seedling heating: if you also grow seedlings in the warm months, check that the heating is controlled by a thermostat and only runs for as long as necessary.
• Terrace heating: it is sometimes used on cooler summer evenings - take care that it does not stay switched on.
• Supplementary heating in the home: if an infrared panel, panel heater, heating mat or heating cable provides supplementary heating, make sure it is really switched off in the warm months and that its thermostat does not switch on during a cooler night.

Longer-term investments

• Thermal insulation: good insulation keeps the warmth in during winter and the heat out in summer - an insulated house needs less cooling.
• Modern windows and doors: replacing old, poorly sealing windows and doors is useful in summer too.
• Solar panels: with solar panels part of a household's electricity needs can be generated on site, and summer air-conditioning use fits well with the production peak. How large a share this covers over a year also depends on the billing arrangement: in Hungary, from 1 January 2024 new household systems are on gross billing, meaning that fed-in and drawn electricity are accounted for separately. The earlier net-metering arrangement can remain only for systems applied for by September 2023 and put into operation by 1 January 2026, for a maximum of 10 years.

Smart home, conscious monitoring

With a smart thermostat, smart plugs and an energy monitor you can track exactly how much each device uses. Seeing consumption in real time is often motivation enough to change habits, and settings can be fine-tuned on that basis. How you can measure and calculate the consumption of heating film is explained in our article on measuring electricity consumption.

Summary

Reducing electricity use does not stop at the end of the heating season. In summer, cooling, the fridge, water heating and standby devices offer the most room for savings, and supplementary heaters are worth really switching off. Small steps add up: used consciously all year round, a household's energy use can be lowered for good.