Why not take advantage of the holidays to improve your home and make it more eco-friendly? Do-it-yourselfers, amateurs or gardeners, the Ecological Transition Agency (Ademe) provides some simple advice to put in place.
Summer is the time to hunt for water leaks at home. “A dripping faucet seems like a sinner, but it’s liters of water that are wasted,” recalls Florence Clément, spokesperson for Ademe. Changing the seal of a tap or a flush “is within everyone’s reach”, she advocates. But not all water leaks are visible. So she advises a very simple method: before going to bed, read the water meter. Make sure no one gets up during the night and the next day: raise the meter. If there is a gap, there is a leak. It is then necessary to check all the water inlets, in particular behind the washing machines or the dishes and to change the seals.
“Another very simple gesture to make to limit your water consumption is to put aerators on the taps”, advises Florence Clément. More broadly, the agency recommends using a water-saving faucet: mixer tap, thermostatic faucet or even a turbulence shower head. “This latest technology breaks up the drops to increase the contact surface between the body to be washed and the water. This generates savings of 50 to 60%”. Here again, you don’t need to be a plumber to do it, the starting bet is only a few euros for a mousseur and on arrival, substantial savings are made.
For slightly more experienced DIYers, this is the time to think about installing shutters on the windows, to “protect themselves from the heat in summer, keep the house cool and in winter prevent heat loss”. Florence Clément nevertheless advises against embarking alone on carrying out more substantial insulation work, in particular for safety reasons – you should not caulk everything. Similarly, it is better to leave it to professionals to change the windows. Or in another register, to install solar panels. “For insurance reasons in particular, it is better to have solar panels installed on the roof by a professional. It is necessary that the tightness of the roof is guaranteed and that the electrical connections are made in the rules of the art”, recommends Florence Clément.
On the garden side, the installation of a water collector is a source of savings. Its size is to be evaluated according to the needs and the space available. The tank is connected to the gutter, to collect the water from the roof. Florence Clément recommends choosing a model with a tap at the bottom – to fill the watering cans – and a lid – to prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs.
For those who have not yet taken the plunge, now is the time to think about compost and install a dedicated stocking. This reduces the volume of household waste while benefiting from free fertilizer. And for those who do not have a garden, “the law provides that all individuals have a practical solution for sorting their bio-waste at the source from January 1, 2024”, recalls the Ministry of Ecological Transition, without yet define precisely what this “practical solution” will be.
“Summer is also an opportunity to think about biodiversity,” recalls Florence Clément. Animals also suffer from the heat and the lack of water. Remember to install small cups full of water – and renew them regularly – for birds, but also hedgehogs. For the latter, do not hesitate to offer them also the lodging, thanks to small piles of wood and branches to protect them. They will return it to you by devouring the slugs in the garden. “You can also plant bee plants, such as lavender, to attract pollinating insects and even make an insect hotel,” adds Florence Clément. A fun activity to do with the family, with the children.
