Some proposals of the energy sobriety plan unveiled recently by the government have been more talked about than others. Cutting off the heating of hot water tanks, a measure that is sometimes misunderstood and wrongly interpreted as a restriction, was notably welcomed more or less coldly. Logically, we were also interested in operators’ Internet and TV boxes whose standby could be optimized.
Another less discussed measure concerns the presence of smart thermostats or boiler programmers, and the technology of connected objects could provide an additional boost. In the part of the sobriety plan regarding major proposals by sector, the state plans to make them mandatory by 2025.
The measure is part of five key points that will be reminded to the French in an advertising campaign:
- Set the heating to 19°C maximum.
- Set your water heater to 55°C and spend less time in the shower.
- Turn off all devices that are on or on standby when not in use.
- Shift the use of electrical appliances outside of peak periods (8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m./6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.).
- Install a programmable thermostat.
Optimized savings thanks to connected functions
According to the government, which is based on a calculation by Synasav, the National Union for Maintenance and Energy Efficiency Services, the use of a simple programmer can save 5 to 15% on gas. But there is a way to further optimize the operation of your boiler or reversible air conditioning thanks to connected functions.
According to manufacturer Tado, which recently added an energy cost tracking feature to its appliances, users who adopt a connected thermostat save an average of 22% on regular heating costs compared to those using a conventional thermostat.
A connected thermostat can, for example, take into account the weather forecast to optimize the efforts made to heat the home. Connected via the application installed on the smartphone of the inhabitants of the house, it could also know if the latter occupy the home or when they are about to return home and, over time, adapt the heating according to their habits. .
Connected or not, by 2025, it may well be that all French households will be required to have a thermostat to regulate heating. On the pricing side, and depending on the model, a thermostat is generally quickly profitable by the savings made. For this reason, the government offers aid of up to €65 depending on income.