Tips for better living

TEMPERATURE

The standard room temperature is approximately 19°C. This temperature can be programmed and adjusted to suit the size of the room, your activities and your habits.

The following temperatures are recommended :

• 19 to 20°C for living rooms
• 18°C in bedrooms for better sleep
• 22°C in bathrooms to avoid a sudden change in body temperature
• If you are planning to be absent for over two hours, reduce the temperature by 3 to 4°C
• Do not change the thermostat or the control system unneccessarily if the radiator is cold: the programmed temperature has most certainly been reached.

Did you know ?

By reducing the temperature setting by 1°C, you can reduce your heating consumption by approximately 7 % per year. The opposite applies if you increase it.

WATER  

There were 2.5 billion inhabitants on our planet in 1950. In 2006, there were 6.5 billion. In 2025, the water reserve available per inhabitant will be three times lower than in 1950, and the planet will have as many as 8 billion inhabitants.

We must act carefully in order not to waste our water reserves:

• fix dripping taps
• avoid leaving water running unnecessarily when washing the dishes or brushing your teeth
• fill the washing machine up completely and remember to use economical wash cycles
• install water saving systems in toilets and taps
• collect rain water

The ground water table is an important source of drinking water, and it can be contaminated by harmful waste.

Here are some habits that we can adopt to safeguard our water reserves:

• follow the recommended dosage when using household products
• never pour left-over paint, solvents or any other toxic products into the sink, but take them to a waste processing centre
• preserve domestic hot water by installing equipment that safeguards it against bacteria and rust.
• use phosphate-free detergent to prevent the proliferation of microscopic algae that are dangerous for our health

Did you know ?

•  By being careful, we can save upto 30 litres every day. How? By taking a shower rather than a bath, for example. Showering uses two times less water than taking a bath.

NOISE-LEVELS

  We are all exposed to noise with car horns, lawn mowers or radios on full blast. Yet silence contributes to quality of life. Sound is audible at 10 decibels (dB) and above, and can become dangerous when above 85 dB. 

There are a number of ways to reduce noise pollution:

• lower the volume on your TV or stereo
• avoid using noisy equipment at night and on weekends
• compare the sound levels specified by manufacturers when purchasing products that will be integrated into your living environment.

WASTE

A plastic bag takes between 100 and 1,000 years to decompose completely in the environment. Chewing gum takes approximately 5 years. Some products are dangerous for the air, earth, water and our health, and we can take steps to minimise our waste levels.

What we can do:

• support selective sorting of your garbage and support recycling
• reduce the quantity of our waste by choosing products without unnecessary packaging, and materials with long life cycles.

Did you know ?

Our domestic waste is counted in tons. For example, in France, a family of 4 produces 1.5 tons of waste per year on average.