With the summer months come rising temperatures, longer days and higher electricity bills. But there are a number of things you can do to help keep your energy costs under control.
Without some preparations it’s hard to save anything…
Here are 14 easy tips for cutting back on your power usage without sacrificing comfort:
Tips for Saving Electricity During Summer
Switch to a fan
You may think that fans are only good for circulating air, but they can also be used to cool down your home. When the temperature outside is warmer than inside, you can use a ceiling fan to bring in cooler air and save on your air conditioning bill. You can also use floor or box fans to circulate the warm air in rooms and help keep the room cool.
Read: Ways to Use ice with fan
Use your fridge efficiently
- Keep your fridge temperature at around 4C
- Make sure that all food is properly wrapped, and keep your fridge clean by wiping off dust and spills with a damp cloth
- Don’t keep the door open for long periods of time; this causes extra energy usage as well as allowing warm air to enter the cabinet when you open it again later on, which can make things inside start to go bad faster
Make your hot water tank work for you
The average American household uses 40% of its energy budget on heating and cooling. One way to cut down on this is to get a hot water heater that saves you money and energy.
There are two main types of hot water heaters: tankless and traditional. Tanks heat up when you turn on the tap, so you’re using more energy than necessary when waiting for it to get hot enough for your shower or bathwater. Often, tankless systems can save homeowners between 30% and 50% of their energy use.
Change the settings on your air conditioner
- Set your thermostat to a higher temperature (68°F or 19°C is recommended by the U.S. Department of Energy).
- Set your timer so that your air conditioner turns off while you’re away at work and turns back on when you get home in the evening—this will save up to 20 percent on cooling costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s website!
- Set another timer for later in the evening, so it’ll automatically turn off at night—you can also set this one to turn on while you’re away at work if it’s not hot enough yet during those hours (but remember: if there’s no one home then no one needs cool air!)
Read: Fastest way to cool a room without AC or fan
Turn off the lights when you leave the room
Turning off the lights when you leave a room is a simple way to reduce electricity costs. This tip applies everywhere, from your home to your apartment building or office space, and even to places like libraries that have lots of people coming in and out all day long.
Turning off all the lights in a room when you’re done with them is also good for your own safety: if there’s no one around to notice if something goes wrong (e.g., if something catches on fire), it could end up being dangerous for everyone who works there!
Unplug unused electronics during the day
Summer is a time of high electricity use. The air conditioner runs all day and night, and more people are home than usual. If you want to save money on your electricity bill, here are some tips:
- Turn off the power strip when you’re not using it. For example, if you are at work all day, turn off the power strip that is connected to your computer and monitor so they don’t run as much when no one is nearby.
- Unplug unused electronics during the day rather than let them drain energy from an outlet even though they aren’t currently being used for anything important (like playing music). This will prevent unnecessary drain on your system without having to worry about leaving these items unplugged overnight when their usefulness may be limited anyway (such as a printer).
Be creative with your summer use.
If you’re not in the mood to do any of the above, consider getting creative with your summer use. For example, instead of air conditioning your whole house, why not use fans? Fans are much cheaper than air conditioners and they can circulate cooler air around a room. If you have an awning on your patio or balcony, why not get creative and shade some windows with it? You’ll be blocking out harmful UV rays while still letting in light and saving electricity at the same time!
Use your curtains.
Curtains are not just for keeping in heat; they also help to keep out noise, light and insects. Even if you don’t want to completely cover your windows with curtains, you can still use them to create blinds or drapes that will reduce the amount of sunlight coming through your windows during the day. This will help save on cooling costs as well as reduce any glare from outside light sources such as street lamps or car headlights which can be bothersome at night.
Curtains can also be used to ensure privacy by placing them in front of windows that overlook private areas such as bedrooms or bathrooms. Curtains offer an easy way to provide privacy without having to install blinds or other types of window treatments which take up valuable space inside your home.”
Open windows.
- Open windows at night.
- Open windows during the day.
- Open windows on the north side of your house.
- Open windows on the east side of your house.
- Open windows on the south side of your house.
- Open windows on the west side of your house
Read: Reduce heat in an windowless room
Turn down the thermostat when you leave your house.
When you leave your house, turn down the thermostat by two degrees. This is a common-sense move that every homeowner should do. If you’re okay with walking into an air conditioned room when you get home, then it’s even more important to reduce the temperature while no one is at home because this way the AC won’t have to work so hard.
When weather permits, open windows when there’s good airflow and close them if not. By doing this, people can let in fresh air but also keep out things like pollen and allergens (like dust mites).
Also set your thermostat to a lower temperature than normal for example by turning it down by two degrees as mentioned above or even three degrees if it feels too cold! This will cause less strain on any heating systems so that they don’t needlessly consume electricity just because someone forgot about them before going out for lunch today.”
Close blinds or drapes while you’re not home.
If you’re out for the day, keep your blinds and/or curtains closed to keep the warm air in and prevent it from heating up your house. However, if it’s cloudy outside, opening your windows will let in cool air without making your home too cold—but be sure to close them again when rain is forecasted!
Keep windows open during the day but close them at night if bugs are a problem where you live. Closing down all of your windows before bedtime will also help keep heat inside during the cooler hours of evening, which may reduce how much electricity you use when compared with keeping them open throughout summer nights when temperatures drop erratically between highs and lows (and vice versa). If any insects come inside with those breezes though… well… no one needs that surprise!
Get a programmable thermostat.
A programmable thermostat can help you save money and energy. This is because a programmable thermostat allows you to set your home’s temperature at different times throughout the day, which helps you lower your cooling costs.
Replace any light bulbs with CFLs.
You can replace any light bulbs with CFLs. CFLs use less energy and last longer than regular bulbs, and they also produce less heat. In fact, there has been a lot of debate about the safety of these bulbs because of the mercury in them that is harmful if broken. However, since you’re only going to be using these bulbs for a few hours every day during summer, it should be fine as long as you don’t throw them all over the place or break one by mistake.
CFLs are more expensive than regular bulbs but will save you money in the long run because they use less electricity and last longer compared to incandescent lights which burn out quickly too (not to mention their ugly yellowish glow). But if money isn’t an issue then just go ahead and buy some LED lights instead because they’ll save even more energy!
Check and adjust your air conditioning unit to reduce energy use.
The first thing you can do to reduce your air conditioner’s energy use is check the filters. If they’re dirty, clean them or replace them. Check to make sure that the thermostat is set at an appropriate temperature for your home and that it isn’t set incorrectly (e.g., if it’s set to 75 degrees when everyone is gone for the day). Also, check to see whether you have any timers or automatic setback programs running on your system—you may not need these if you’re going out of town or don’t want the house to cool down while no one’s home during certain hours of the day.
Be smart about how you use electricity to save money
Whether you’re looking to save money or reduce your home’s environmental impact, there are several ways to reduce your electricity usage during summer.
- Use less electricity: You can lower your total electricity costs by using appliances that are more efficient than standard models. These include LED light bulbs, which use about 80% less energy than incandescent lights. You could also switch from an older refrigerator or freezer to a newer model that uses about 15% less energy per day.
- Use efficient appliances: If you already have an appliance that uses as little energy as possible but still seems inefficient compared to others on the market, this might be because it was designed before modern technology made them more efficient and thus better able to compete with other products in terms of price and quality. For instance, if you have an older dishwasher that doesn’t run very well anymore (but is still working), consider replacing it with a new model that has been designed using up-to-date technology so they use less water while cleaning dishes at high speed!
Conclusion
By being smart about how you use your electricity, you can cut your energy costs without sacrificing comfort. It’s easy to overdo it in the summer when there are so many tempting ways to stay cool. So, make a plan ahead of time and ensure that your choices don’t come back to bite you when the bill comes due at month’s end!
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