Warm effect on the wallet, 550 euros per family

The extreme heat that has hit Italy costs up to 550 euros per month per family, between higher energy and water consumption and expenses for goods and services aimed at coping with the record temperatures of recent weeks. Assoutenti did the calculations in a study that added together the amounts of the various items that will weigh on the wallets of Italian families, from turning on air conditioners, to higher water consumption, to expenses for cooling down, to supplements and creams for skin protection.

"The record heat that has been raging in Italy for days is radically changing citizens' habits and can lead to a real drain on families' pockets - explains the president Gabriele Melluso - However, it is possible to contain spending by rationalizing consumption and resorting to expedients that help us fight the heat without necessarily having to reach into our wallets". For this reason, the association has developed a handbook for saving.

But we must obviously start from the awareness of the items that increase family costs. Air conditioners, which this year were started early due to the heat, impact the wallet with an increased expense of between 80 and 120 euros per month per family. Obviously the efficiency classes and the number of appliances in operation count. Instead, the increased use of water for showers, garden irrigation, drinking water is worth 20-30 euros of higher costs. Food supplements (20.40 euros) and the increased consumption of soft drinks, ice creams and mineral water and also fruit have an impact on a family's spending, all goods that have seen increases in price (40-60 euros), but also sun creams (30-40 euros), the greater use of the car instead of buses, bicycles and motorbikes (30-50 euros of fuel) with a further increase (18.30 euros) in the consumption of the air conditioner. Then there is the desire for refreshment that leads to the sea or the swimming pool to escape the heat in the city: between sunbeds, umbrellas, parking and meals, it adds up to the family's monthly expenditure for about 120-180 euros.

It is possible to save money and Assoutenti has created a decalogue. First and foremost are the recommendations for using the air conditioner: turn it on only when needed, do not set temperatures below 25 degrees, turn it off when you leave the house, use the dehumidifier and the timer at night. The advice is then to air out the house during the cool hours of the morning or evening and to close the shutters during the day. Other tips for avoiding wasting water: short showers, not hot or icy; the use of cool water to moisten the wrists and neck also works against the heat. In the car, however, it is suggested to air out the passenger compartment before turning on the air conditioner. Food spending should then focus on local and seasonal products, which usually have a lower cost. Furthermore, some types of fruit and vegetables have water and mineral salts that avoid the need for supplements. At the seaside, it is better to bring food from home to save on consumption.

Finally, a piece of advice concerns drinking water: take it from the tap if it is drinkable in your municipality - suggests the consumer association - because it is certainly controlled and is the most economical and sustainable choice.