We are on the threshold of a complex winter, with significant economic and social consequences caused by the worst price increases of the last decade. A country that must face the dear bills, energy crisis, climate crisis as well photographed by the numbers that Legambiente presents in a dossier Civico 5.0 with a “Photograph of the living of the ten municipalities: monitoring of electricity consumption and thermography.”
For the third quarter of 2022, we had prices (for the energy material expenditure item, which accounts for more than 80% of the overall price on the bill) of €0,31/kWh for electricity and €1,09/Smc for gas, values that increased by 2020% and 623%, respectively, compared to the third quarter of 800.
In Campania, already in 2021, families spent an average of 1.561 euros on electricity and gas, 36% more than in 2020. Specifically, the electricity bill was, on average, 704 euros - the second highest in all of Italy - with an annual increase of 35%; that of gas, on the other hand, reached 857 euros, an increase of 36% compared to 2020. [source: Facile.it analysis].
The Italian families that today find themselves having to deal with these increases live, in almost all cases, in homes that are not energy efficient or have poor energy efficiency. This further aggravates this situation: a home that is not energy efficient leads to higher consumption, both of electricity and gas.
In particular, in Campania, 39,6% of buildings have an APE (Energy Performance Certificate) that certifies an energy class G, the lowest. There are 10 energy classes in total: A4 (the best), G (the worst). For the needs of a house in class G, an amount of energy is needed that is almost ten times greater than for a house with an energy certification of class A4, with an impact on the costs in the bill up to 10 times greater.
"In light of these data - comments Mariateresa Imparato, president of Legambiente Campania - extraordinary measures are needed to respond to the climate, energy and socioeconomic crisis. Today, real change absolutely passes through the ecological conversion of our cities starting from our homes. A possible challenge, a community challenge.
Energy requalification, urban regeneration, electrification of domestic consumption and changes in lifestyles are the only way forward. A profound transformation of buildings is needed (making them more energy efficient, seismic safe and asbestos-free, all while ensuring that improvements are for all social classes) and neighborhoods, focusing attention on citizens' needs and environmental innovation.
According to an elaboration by CGIA Mestre, based on the OIPE 2020 Report data, families in Italy at risk of energy poverty would be at least 4 million, meaning more than 9 million people. The region in greatest difficulty is Campania: the number of families in Campania that use electricity and gas occasionally varies between 519 and 779 thousand units. We are talking about a number of people between 1.370.914 and 2.056.371.
These families in difficulty then find themselves having to live sometimes in homes that increase their energy costs. The 2011 ISTAT census told us of an already serious situation: in Campania, there are about 195 thousand residential buildings in mediocre or terrible condition, which is over 21,8% of the region's residential building stock.
39,6% of buildings in the Campania region have an APE that certifies an energy class G. Important numbers, which highlight an antiquated building heritage, which leads to higher bill costs for the families who live there. Legambiente Campania has created a snapshot of the quality of living through thermographic and electrical analyses of 10 homes in the 10 municipalities of Naples carried out by volunteers from Legambiente Campania as part of the project “Volunteers for sustainable communities” funded by the Campania Region.
In the months of January, February and March 2022, thermographic analyses were carried out around the ten municipalities, in order to provide a general picture of the state of the building heritage of the city of Naples. The survey conducted on the residential buildings of the 10 municipalities of Naples has therefore highlighted a rather complex picture.
In particular, in 80% of the buildings, numerous thermal bridges were highlighted at the level of the balcony and window frames. In addition, in three municipalities (30%) the thermal imprints of the attic were also evident. In 60% of the cases, the thermographies highlighted how the walls of the building do not adequately insulate the structure from a thermal point of view. Many of the thermographies carried out showed, in fact, great chromatic inhomogeneity due precisely to a different dispersion of heat from the building. Finally, only one of the ten buildings analyzed for the project highlighted the presence of humidity and mold stains under the balconies.
Even the interior of our homes, our daily habits can have an impact on our bills. The way we use appliances and the choices we make when we buy a new one have an impact.
To better understand the habits and consumption of families, we chose to monitor a family for each of the ten municipalities of Naples and analyzed the consumption of four of the main household appliances used by the family. The analysis of the electricity consumption of household appliances in families in the different municipalities of Naples provides a snapshot of the habits of families.
The use of the washing machine, for example, is still very frequent in the morning time slots when the cost of electricity is higher. In fact, in 75% of the families in which the consumption of the washing machine was monitored, at least one wash cycle was carried out in the F1 time slot. Only 25% use this appliance in the most economically advantageous time and day slots. In 55% of the families, at least one appliance was identified as being in stand-by mode: one of these reached 432 Wh, which in a year is approximately equal to 5,3% of the average electricity consumption of Italian families.
Article published on 14 October 2022 - 14:59
