Cutting the electricity bill for common areas: six measures in order of return

Lighting for the stairs, entrance and garage is one of the few expenses where an afternoon of admin saves hundreds of euros a year.

1. Review the contracted capacity (free)

Many communities are still carrying oversized capacity from the days of old electric door systems. Dropping one band is worth €60–150 a year.

2. Review the tariff (free)

Compare your price per kWh with the market once a year. Switching supplier is a simple resolution and involves no building work.

3. LEDs everywhere (payback under a year)

If there are still halogens or fluorescents in the stairwell and garage, switching to LED pays for itself within months.

4. Presence detectors (payback one to two years)

Stairs and garage lit only when somebody is there. Combined with LEDs, stairwell consumption falls by more than 70%.

5. Timers outdoors

The entrance light does not need to be on at 4 a.m. in summer on the same schedule as in December: an astronomical timer adjusts it by itself.

6. For the ambitious: solar on the roof

If the building has a usable roof, shared self-consumption for the common areas (and even for the homes) attracts grants, and the law makes the resolution easier (simple majority for self-consumption serving common areas).