challenge #3 : energy & housing

Dear participants,

This week, we’re tackling an area where every little gesture has a big impact: your home and how you use energy. Heating, hot water, lighting, appliances… these are important factors in our energy consumption, but they are also the ones that are easiest to change, often without spending more, just by adopting a few new habits.

The good news? The energy you save immediately translates into less CO₂… and more money in your pocket. It’s a motivating, concrete topic where you can see results quickly.
Ready to transform your home into a more energy-efficient and sustainable space?

La bonne nouvelle ? L’énergie que tu économises, c’est immédiatement du CO₂ en moins… et des économies financières en plus. C’est un thème motivant, concret, et où les résultats se voient vite.
Prêt·e à transformer ton chez-toi en espace plus économe et plus durable ?

🌱 Why is it important?

In Switzerland, one third of greenhouse gas emissions come from the building sector, mainly due to heating and domestic hot water, which account for more than 60% of a home’s energy consumption, especially when the systems still run on oil or gas.

The little things that count: slightly reducing the room temperature, optimising ventilation, avoiding wasting electricity, adjusting appliances, improving insulation, etc.

These habits, which are accessible to everyone, can immediately reduce your carbon footprint, lower your energy bills, and make your home more comfortable, without any major work or investment.

Challenge #1: Reduce energy used for heating 🔥

Goal: Reduce heating consumption

Concrete actions:

  • Lower the temperature in a room by 1°C (for example, from 22°C to 21°C or even 19°C) and put on an extra jumper.
  • Ventilate effectively: open the windows wide for 5 minutes rather than leaving them ajar for a long time.
  • Bleed your radiators to improve their efficiency.
  • Close blinds and curtains at night to conserve heat.
  • Turn down or turn off the heating in rooms that are not used very often (guest room, corridor, hall).

💡 Tip #1: Use a thermometer to find out the actual temperature in each room: we often tend to overheat.

💡 Tip #2: Consult the poster on energy-saving measures in the canton of Geneva to find out about official recommendations and practical solutions you can implement in your home.

💡 Tip #3: Use this heating comparison tool to find out the emissions for your home.

Challenge #2: Optimise water use 💧

Goal: Reduce water consumption

Concrete actions:

  • Take a shower instead of a bath and limit it to 5 minutes.
  • Reduce the boiler temperature to 55–60°C if it is adjustable.
  • Install a water-saving shower head to reduce hot water consumption.
  • Turn off the water while you soap up, shave or brush your teeth.
  • Repair leaks quickly; a dripping tap can waste up to 5,000 litres per year.

💡 Tip: Economical shower heads are inexpensive and pay for themselves in a matter of weeks thanks to the savings in hot water.

Challenge #3: Reduce your electricity consumption 🔌

Concrete actions:

  • Switch off your appliances completely and avoid standby mode.
  • Unplug your router or modem at night if possible.
  • Use power strips with switches to easily turn off multiple appliances.
  • Activate the ‘eco’ programmes on your washing machine and dishwasher.
  • Wash your laundry at 30°C and dry it in the open air rather than using the tumble dryer.
  • Gradually replace your light bulbs with LEDs to reduce consumption.

💡 Tips: Appliances left on standby account for up to 10% of domestic electricity consumption: switching off these ‘phantom loads’ is a simple and effective gesture.

Bonus Challenge: Responsible digital technology and AI 🤖

👉 Why is this important?

The use of digital technology and AI often has an invisible impact: data centres consume enormous amounts of electricity and water to operate. Generative AI can use 20 to 30 times more energy than a conventional query, and training certain models has required up to 700,000 litres of water. Even storing emails and files, streaming music and videos, and sending mass messages has an environmental impact: electricity consumption, water use for server cooling, and CO₂ emissions.

Goal: Reduce your ‘invisible consumption’ linked to digital technology and contribute to a more sustainable use of AI.

Concrete actions:

  • Limit your use of AI: group your requests together and ask questions in batches rather than one at a time.
  • Fewer calculations on servers = less energy + less water used.
  • Reduce the most energy-intensive uses: AI image generators are among the most intensive digital tools.
  • Try to limit their use to what is really useful to you.
  • Lighten your digital footprint (don’t just delete): unsubscribe from newsletters you never open.
  • Avoid heavy attachments: send a link (Drive, SwissTransfer, etc.).
  • Limit large automatic backups to the cloud.
  • Clean up your large files (videos, duplicate photos) and emails which take up permanent storage space.
  • sur le cloud.
  • Nettoie tes gros fichiers (vidéos, doublons photo), qui mobilisent du stockage permanent.

🌍 Local events and initiatives

Conference with Jean-Pierre Goux at the Maison de l’Avenir
Tuesday, 25 November, 6.30pm – 8pm
Jean-Pierre Goux shares his expertise and thoughts on energy transition and sustainable solutions for everyday life.
→ More information

Geneva 2025 Seminar: the climate city in question
Thursday, 27 November, 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Conference to reflect on urban climate issues and possible solutions to make Geneva more sustainable.
→ More information

Low-tech escape game
Thursday, 27 November, 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
A fun workshop to discover simple and sustainable technical solutions through a escape game.
→ More information

Workshop: AI Battle
Sunday 30 November, 1.30pm – 3.30pm
An interactive workshop to understand artificial intelligence and its impact on our lives and the environment.
→ More information

Eau’Rizon
Sunday 30 November, 2.30pm – 4.30pm
A fun orienteering to explore the Geneva area while raising awareness of water-related issues.
→ More information

Climate Sense arrives in Switzerland – first edition !
28–30 November
A sensory and interactive experience that immerses the public in the impacts of climate change.
→ More information

Energ’IA Transition
Tuesday 2 December, 4pm – 8pm
An event to imagine and discuss innovative solutions for achieving carbon neutrality.
→ More information

→ MORE EVENTS – CLIMATE WEEK
→ MORE EVENTS – MAISON DE L’AVENIR

Thank you for continuing to move forward at your own pace in this challenge. Every step is a collective victory!

See you next week to explore a new essential theme: mobility.

Défis Energie