Save Energy Together events & activities

House viewing day in Donauwörth: 12 April 2026
What does sustainable construction and renovation look like in practice? Which solutions really work well in everyday life and what experiences do owners have with modern heating technology, well-insulated buildings and self-generated solar power? Answers to these questions will be provided at the house viewing day in Donauwörth as part of the Donauwörth Climate Weeks. Four houses will open their doors and show how different energy-efficient buildings can look. Three renovation projects highlight the potential that exists in existing buildings. Learn more by clicking here!

Training for facility managers and building supervisors in Germany: 23 April 2026 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. 
Municipal facility managers and building supervisors are invited to participate in a practical training course offered by eza!, the Energy Agency in Allgäu, Germany addressing key topics relevant to the energy efficient operation and maintenance of public buildings. Register here.

Interested in School workshops on saving electricity, or Consultation days?

The Slovenian Consumers’ Association (ZPS) and the City of Ljubljana invite you to the conference on Wednesday, 11. 3. 2026. The conference offers exchange of concrete experiences of Slovenian municipalities implementing energy efficiency measures and motivating citizens to reduce energy use in households. It connects municipalities, consumers, experts, energy agencies and NGOs to create practical, accessible and behavioral solutions that help citizens reduce energy costs while contributing to the achievement of local and national climate goals. The conference offers a space for the transfer of proven solutions and approaches that have already proven to be effective in practice.

This practical PV workshop helps citizens maximize the self-consumption of their solar power systems, reducing electricity costs and improving energy independence. Participants receive expert advice on topics such as upgrading older installations, adding battery storage, combining PV with heat pumps, or integrating balcony solar systems, while also benefiting from peer exchange and tailored answers to their questions. Organized in collaboration with energy experts, the event provides municipalities with an effective format to engage residents and promote local renewable energy use.

ADENE’s campaign in Braga shows how schools, local partners, and trusted community spaces can effectively engage vulnerable households on energy saving. By working with social services, neighbourhood associations, and schools, they reached families that are usually hard to involve and turned children into powerful ambassadors for change. Practical support through local sessions and a new One-Stop Shop helps residents understand bills, access incentives, and adopt concrete home energy-saving measures. In the Municipality of Braga, with Braga City Council, ADENE is successfuly carrying out awareness-raising and information actions that aim to encourage the adoption of cost-effective energy-saving measures and promote the involvement of key local stakeholders. Beyonf the municipality, ADENE involved various local and regional actors such as  BragaHabit, InvestBraga, the Intermunicipal Community of Cávado or the Porto Energy Agency.

This environmental campaign raises awareness about how to heat with wood correctly in order to reduce air pollution and use resources efficiently. Households receive clear, practical guidance on proper lighting and burning techniques, why they matter, and the consequences of incorrect use, through engaging and easy-to-follow formats. The initiative also highlights benefits such as improved air quality and cost savings, while providing municipalities with communication materials and support from the Energy Agency Tirol. As a result, municipalities are provided with support not only for the activity itself, but also for press work and communication. Read a recent press article on this action here.

“Events like these bring expert knowledge directly to the people and inspire them to take action themselves. Energy saving often starts right in your own attic.” – Peter Ahne, Vice-mayor, Mindelheim (DE)

This practical workshop teaches homeowners and local residents how to cut heating costs with simple, eco-friendly insulation measures. Participants learn step-by-step how to insulate attic ceilings using wood fiber boards, understand key concepts like moisture protection and thermal bridges, and get expert guidance on materials, installation, and funding options. The event also encourages experience-sharing, empowering communities to take practical action on energy efficiency.

In the past few months, ZPS has actively engaged with communities across Slovenia. At the Annual Conference for School Coordinators and Mentors, around 400 teachers took part in discussions on efficient energy use. The ZPS team distributed educational fans and information sheets filled with practical tips on heating and cooling.  Teachers warmly welcomed the materials, which were later shared as digital PDFs so they could easily spread this knowledge to their students.  Learn more .

Some weeks later, in the vibrant center of Ljubljana, Festival Lupa brought together civic organizations and visitors for a day of lively exchanges. With ZPS stand drew many interested visitors, including the Mayor of Ljubljana, who appreciated the hands-on advice and friendly conversations. See event details
Held under the honorary patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Robert Golob, the 3fŽO Festival welcomed more than 17,000 visitors this year — the largest event for seniors in Europe. Visitors enjoyed informative chats, practical tips, and our signature fans and info sheets, reminding us that connecting across generations is key to building a more sustainable future.  More about the festival

Through interactive school workshops, offered by the Energy Agency Tyrol in Austria, pupils and students become “energy-saving professionals,” learning from an early age how to use energy and resources responsibly. The “Energy Savers” offer introduces primary school children to topics such as energy and resource conservation. Depending on the grade, classes either participate in a workshop led by the Energy Agency or take part in a school-organized excursion to a relevant facility. Teachers also implement small classroom projects (with guidance provided by the Energy Agency), complemented by hands-on experiments. Information sessions are offered for both teachers and parents.  Topics include: Grade 1: Water, Grade 2: Sun, Grade 3: Electricity, Grade 4: Energy and Resources.  The programme offers training and introduction for teaching staff,  workshops delivered by the Energy Agency, classroom implementation guide, teaching materials and information. Browse photos of the implemented activity in Lans, Austria here.

Slovenia’s summer energy-saving campaign confirmed something essential for anyone working with citizens: people want easy tools they can actually use.
Zveza potrošnikov Slovenije | Slovene Consumers’​ Association reached thousands of residents through festivals, fairs, school sessions, and digital platforms — and the clearest lesson was that practical, trusted, user-focused content wins people over. The monthly electricity and gas price overview remains one of the most visited pages on the ZPS website, now paired with a popular new electricity cost calculator. This App is now also offering energy saving tipps together with the comparison of the best energy tariffs.

For municipalities and energy agencies, the lesson that stood out above everything else was simple: people want tools. They want clarity. They want something they can actually use. Blend personal interaction with smart digital tools. Face-to-face conversations build trust, while online calculators, price tables, and guides turn that trust into action. Citizens want clarity, empowerment, and concrete steps they can apply today.

Energy teams can be established in every municipality. They consist of interested and engaged citizens, local NGOs, and representatives of the municipality. The „Energy team meeting“ takes place roughly every second month and discusses current actions and calls for the community. They suggest motivating and supporting actions to the municipality, like, free energy advice, small scale local subsidies for solar panel installations etc.

During the hot summer days, many people can no longer imagine life without air conditioning even though continuous use of air conditioning significantly increases contribution to climate change. The Slovenian Consumer Association developed a press release with some simple suggestions for those with air conditioning and those without.

In so-called Thermal insulation made easy workshop, citizens implement hands-on measures directly under the guidance of an expert – the building owner benefits immediately and everyone gains valuable insights on how to reduce energy consumption and costs. Take a look at the examples from Rettenberg (local newspaper February | March 2025)

Local actors want to address energy poverty – but they often need more support, tools, and practical guidance. At the same time, expectations from EU and national levels are rising: municipalities are being asked to integrate energy poverty into their climate and energy agendas. A SaveEnergyTogether event offered short inputs with various capacity-building opportunities: Austrian national training programme for social workers | Insights into regional cooperation with municipalities | Training programme to boost the capacities of municipalities.

On 26 February 2026, SaveEnergyTogether took part in the Climate Alliance National Conference in Germany in Berlin. Jan Schwarz co-led a workshop on “Social justice in the private building stock: municipal opportunities despite tight budgets” with Dr. Kristina Eisfeld on behalf of the European Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH).
During the workshop, municipalities and stakeholders gathered around three themed tables, including one on energy-saving measures and communication campaigns—the focus of SaveEnergyTogether. Led by Zoe Hoffmann from the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Borough Office in Berlin, participants crafted a shared message:

Let’s be bold!—bold as municipalities reaching out to households to prevent energy poverty, bold in promoting socially just climate action, and bold as citizens in opening our doors to support.

The discussions explored practical pathways for climate-friendly housing, from behavioral change and small efficiency upgrades to solar PV solutions and large-scale retrofits transforming commercial buildings into multigenerational homes.
Download the Lessons Learned (in German) here

On 26 February | At 11:30 CET | Online
The webinar explored how energy poverty is being addressed at EU and national levels. Isabel Pereira (ADENE) showed the data available in the ODYSSEE and MURE databases about indicators and policy measures relevant to energy poverty. João Pedro Gouveia (NOVA School of Science and Technology) provided an overview of the EU policy framework and the role of the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH) in supporting local authorities through data tools, capacity building and policy guidance. Madalena Santos (ADENE) outlined Portugal’s approach to energy poverty, including its long-term plan, action measures and evaluation mechanisms. João Alpalhão presented SaveEnergyTogether and its Braga pilot, showcasing how simple, targeted energy efficiency interventions, from school literacy sessions to door-to-door outreach in vulnerable households, can make a real difference in the lives of energy-poor citizens. The presentation inlcuded our online hub as a resource and good practices repository, alongside factsheets and inspiring communication approaches from our project partners. Download the presentation here.

The European Energy Efficiency Conference 2026 highlighted that advanced technologies in automation, AI, and battery systems had already made significant contributions to Europe’s energy transition. At the same time, the activation of citizens to apply proven energy-saving measures remained a key challenge for achieving tangible results at the local level. The SaveEnergyTogether initiative addressed this gap by supporting municipalities and communities in promoting and implementing simple, effective energy-saving actions. Its poster presentation, delivered by Kęstutis Kupšys, drew particular attention for showcasing practical tools, local success stories, and innovative collaboration models that help translate policy goals into measurable energy efficiency gains.

The Austrian Energy Agency presented the SaveEnergyTogether achievements at the 2025 BEHAVE Conference in der Session Ecological transition at the local level. In this session, Altan Sahin presented the project’s overall approach, including pilot activities and communication campaigns aimed at supporting local energy transitions. The agency also took part in a panel discussion on engaging vulnerable consumers through trust-based approaches to address energy poverty, emphasizing the importance of trusted intermediaries and targeted communication measures as first steps toward building awareness, confidence, and future renovation actions.