Become an eco-conscious holiday homeowner

•  Turn off the tap, especially when brushing your teeth. Leaving the tap running for two minutes can waste up to 10 litres of water each time. Simply turning it off can save around 20 litres a day, nearly 7,300 litres a year.
• Take shorter showers. By reducing your daily shower by just five minutes, you save around 35 litres of water per shower. That represents a saving of around 1,050 litres a month.
• Install a water-saving shower head and tap aerators. Make sure your shower and taps are fitted with water-efficient devices. With these simple measures, you can cut your water bill by 30 to 50 percent.
• Are you feeling hot? Instead of taking a shower to cool down, go for a swim in the sea or a dip in a swimming pool.
• Stay informed about any water use restrictions during periods of drought.
• Optimise plant watering:
  1) Install a drip irrigation system and a rainwater collection system. They are not all as ugly as they used to be!
  2) Water your plants between 8pm and 8am.
  3) Choose pollinator-friendly species that attract bees and other insects, and that require little water.

• Use a dishwasher rather than washing up by hand. Run it only when it’s full. The same goes for your washing machine!
• Do you have a swimming pool?

1) Unless absolutely necessary, there’s no need to empty your pool every year. Often, replacing just some of the water and using the right products is enough. Ask a professional for advice.
2) Make smart use of the overflow system: If your pool is fitted with an overflow system, it’s useful during heavy rain to prevent overflow. However, swimming, diving and water games in the pool cause water to escape through the overflow, leading to unnecessary wastage.  To prevent this, block the overflow with a winterising plug for example when using the pool.
3) Minimise evaporation by installing a pool cover or roller shutter. During summer heatwaves, the water level in your pool can drop by up to 10 cm per week.

• Organise and sort your waste:
  1) All LOOSE packaging → yellow bin.
  2) Glass bottles and jars (no need to rinse them!) → green bin.
  3) Food waste → either use an individual compost bin, or contact the Gulf of Saint-Tropez local council to find out about local collection points.
  4) Everything else (which shouldn’t be much) → brown bin, in a tightly closed black bin bag.
  Find out more here.

• When shopping, avoid over-packaged products and remember to bring your own reusable bags and baskets. For fruit and vegetables, reuse kraft paper bags or opt for reusable fabric ones.
• When you want to get rid of items, consider posting them on the ‘Le Qui n’en Veut du Golfe de Saint-Tropez’ Facebook page, or donating them to the Ressourcerie de Cogolin, where they might make someone else very happy.
• Need to dispose of bulky items? A door-to-door collection service for private residents is organised every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month, subject to prior registration on +33 (0)800 732 122 (free call from a French landline). Registration is mandatory, Monday to Saturday, from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm.

• In the kitchen, gas and electricity consumption can be significant. Here too, a few simple habits can help reduce your environmental impact.
  1) Cooking: Put a lid on pans while cooking. This simple tip helps water boil faster. Towards the end of cooking times, opt for passive cooking by turning off the hob early and making use of the residual heat, as the hob stays warm for several minutes.
  2) Oven: Only preheat your oven for the time strictly necessary.
  3) Washing machine and dishwasher: Make sure they are full before starting a cycle and choose ‘eco’ programmes rather than standard ones, they’re longer but use lower temperatures. Run your appliances at night or during off-peak hours to save energy.

• Save on heating, hot water, and air conditioning:
  1) Air conditioning and open windows don’t mix!
  2) According to ADEME, lowering the indoor temperature by 1°C can reduce your heating bill by 7%.
  3) Recommended temperatures in winter are as follows:
  19°C in living areas,
  21°C in the bathroom,
  16°C in bedrooms, only if they are used during the day
  Lower the temperature by 3°C at night in unoccupied rooms (except bedrooms in use)
  55°C for the hot water tank (never below this to avoid health risks).
  4) Install smart thermostats to monitor and adjust your energy use in real time.
  5) When you’re away, close curtains and shutters during cold weather or on hot summer days.
  6) Avoid using towel warmers or portable heaters, or use them only during your shower.

• Multimedia and household appliances:
  1) Check the energy efficiency rating of your equipment: for instance, an A+++ oven can use over 70% less energy than a class C model.
  2) Avoid leaving devices on standby, as they still use up to 80% of power.
  3) Use your digital devices in energy-saving mode, and use Wi-Fi rather than 4G/5G, which consumes more power.

• To protect nocturnal wildlife and reduce your energy consumption, turn off outdoor lights at night and avoid fixtures that direct light toward the sky.