The French, having sung all summer, could find themselves very deprived this winter, when the north wind comes. But some have taken their precautions, alerted to the risks to our gas and electricity supply.
In the event of an increase in energy prices, people with an ant temperament have prepared themselves, between overhauling their contracts, work on their homes, renewing their wardrobes and changing their habits.
And the heat was
The most far-sighted have already fitted out their homes to make them less energy-intensive. Like many, Sébastien is pleased to have invested in a heat pump, “much more economical” than the electric radiators in his brand new apartment.
About radiators, these are far from unanimous. At Laurent, who takes the term “home” literally, we heat with wood. In his house, “no pellet stove now expensive and in short supply too. We had an insert placed in it with heat outlet vents”. Like a driver-gatherer, Laurent collects his wood on his land and sometimes along the roads, “which is impossible for all other energies”. To complete this picture, Laurent has invested in an auxiliary gas heater, and in the bottle stock that goes with it.
heater that can
Heating is good, but this precious heat must be conserved. To improve her insulation, and be sure to be able to count on her two extra electric heaters purchased in the event of a gas cut, Nathalie explains that she doubled the thickness of the layer of glass wool that lines her attic and added expanded polyurethane. on his basement ceiling.
And if at home, Freddy opted for “the installation of polystyrene panel between the bay window and the roller shutter”, Grégory’s family preferred “to buy window films which prevent 33% heat loss”, assures us he.
Keep yourself informed
The potential rise in the price of electricity is also worrying, but our readers have resources. Laurent, for example, offered himself small solar panels at Decathlon to recharge all kinds of light devices, such as his telephone or his computer. Pihlippe also relies on photovoltaics, with solar panels associated with battery storage.
To light up, some make the romantic bet of candles. Laurent has built up a “huge stock for stormy days” and at Grégory’s we have provided “quantity of tealight candles to light us up at nightfall”. Same atmosphere at “Mamie Joe” who “cuts all the sockets in the evening” and feels “like in Koh-Lanta, with tests to pass”. Let’s hope that his wood stove, his hot water bottles for the beds and his batch of candles will provide him with all the comfort necessary for his survival.
It’s not Versailles, here
“My wife and I are in the process of changing our lifestyles,” says Grégory. The couple are now struggling to concentrate their energy consumption on “off-peak hours” to take advantage of a lower rate. Philippe is pursuing the same ambition and intends to reduce his energy consumption “while smoothing it over time” to eliminate his consumption peaks.
Many 20 Minutes readers have also chosen to (re) adopt or simply maintain good habits. Marcel thus plans to do “as usual” and gives us his eco-citizen routine: “turn off the lights as soon as you leave a room; lower the heating by one or two degrees; put a bottle of water in the flush tank (to limit the volume used when flushing); cook your eggs at the same time as your potatoes”…
At the height of his 78 years, Denis does not want to embark on work to change his oil heating. But he is “already anticipating”, using less “his computer, doing less laundry and turning off appliances on standby” to save on electricity.
“We have always been very attentive to the use of gas: hot water and heating and electricity: LED bulbs, the habit of turning off unoccupied rooms,” Lucette tells us. For water too, she has some tips, like using cold water in the eco cycle for the dishwasher. “Habits form very quickly, and if we teach them to children from an early age, it quickly becomes automatic,” she enthuses.
If the calculations are wrong
Everything is calculated and rationalized “We call on an energy broker who will allow us to optimize our contract with the best supplier according to our needs, both as an individual and for business premises”, says Céline . However, sometimes even over-optimization and vigilance are not enough.
“For many people, the only way to get a bit warmer is to buy blankets, because not everyone can afford to do construction or buy a wood or pellet stove,” Fabienne is sorry, who identifies with people “on low incomes”, those who “will pay the most”.
In addition to having warmly prepared his house, Laurent also plans to cover himself well thanks to “winter clothes bought at flea markets or recovered”. He concludes his testimony with these last words: “The cicada and the ant, everything has already been said in this fable to meditate on. »