In 2022, Sweden was affected by dramatic rises in electricity costs and the risk of electricity shortages, and it became more important to help out in saving electricity for financial and solidarity reasons. AF Bostäder has for many years worked in a target-oriented way on improving energy efficiency, and the initiatives have been continually expanded. During the autumn, the company also launched a campaign to encourage students to be economical with electricity.
“The property sector is responsible for considerable emissions of greenhouse gases from the use of materials and energy, and it’s therefore important in our work to limit our impact on the environment and climate,” says Staffan Jacobsson, Operations and Maintenance Manager at AF Bostäder. “Our measures for saving energy and water go back ten years and are nowadays based on our sustainable operational goals. We also participate in various networks to increase our knowledge. In 2022, we joined Nudge, a node for the development of the digital and green transition, which is run by the EU, Energikontor Syd, Länsstyrelsen Skåne and Region Skåne.”
The greatest energy saving is achieved by ensuring the right indoor temperature. This is why AF Bostäder was an early introducer of a heating policy, which was intended, among other things, to clarify expectations the tenants may have for the indoor climate. In order to regulate the temperature, all buildings are connected for detailed management of heating and ventilation systems.
“We also continuously modernise our components such as fans, pumps and, not least, lighting,” says Staffan Jacobsson. “Outdoor lighting has been prioritised, as these light sources draw a lot of power. Now, we have also stated to convert to LED in stairwells and corridors, and the gains are considerable. We are adding motion sensors so that the lamps only come on when they are needed. Our laundry rooms also have considerable potential for savings. Here, we have started work on connecting our washing machines to hot water that is heated with low-intensity district heating instead of high-intensity electricity.”
As community builders, AF Bostäder also has the important task of inspiring its tenants to make sustainable choices. Therefore, simple and good energy-saving tips can always be found on the company website, and in October 2022, AF Bostäder launched a campaign with the slogan “You have the power to save!”.
“Our tenants are environmentally conscious and assume a large responsibility,” says Staffan Jacobsson. “In a period when it’s especially important to help out to reduce the risk of electricity shortages, it’s important that we engage such a motivated group as the students.”
“The campaign was spread via email, social media and on noticeboards in the laundry rooms. Our tips include changing to LED lamps, turning off devices that are not being used, boiling water in a kettle or under a lid, thawing food in the fridge instead of the microwave, and always filling the washing machine and using a washing temperature that’s as low as possible. From October to December 2022, the tenants reduced their energy consumption by 5.9% compared with the previous year,” says Staffan Jacobsson.
Latest update June 14, 2023