Living in a warm climate, I’ve had to learn about energy efficiency the hard way—by paying for it. Whether you’re saving money or slowing down climate change, reducing your home’s energy consumption has a lot of benefits. Unfortunately, improving your home’s energy efficiency isn’t always easy: many of the most effective strategies require an initial investment and ongoing effort. For me, it was worth it; you’ll have to decide how far you’re willing to go to keep cool while conserving energy at home.
Here are my top tips to cut down on your energy bill this summer.
How To Increase Energy Efficiency In Home?
The summer is a tough time for the air conditioner. It’s constantly working to keep your home cool and comfortable. The problem is, this can lead to massive energy bills. Here are some tips for cutting your energy usage without sacrificing comfort during the hot summer months:
Consider a More Energy-Efficient A/C Unit.
If you’re not willing to go completely green with your A/C unit, consider the following:
- Buy a good one. Look for one that’s Energy Star certified and meets ENERGY STAR’s low-temperature heating requirements (for example, keeping the temperature at 70 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Check out ENERGY STAR’s list of top performers before you buy a new unit. They’re more efficient than others, so they’ll save you money in the long run by using less energy and producing fewer emissions.
Read: Choosing the Best Air Filter for Your HVAC System
Get in the Habit of Turning Off the Lights.
Turning off the lights when you leave a room is a simple step that you can take to save energy in your home. You don’t have to turn them all off at once, but try turning off one light at a time and see how it feels. If you find yourself feeling annoyed by this practice, then don’t worry—you’re not alone! For some people, it takes some getting used to; others figure out how easy it is and start saving lots of money on their electricity bill every month. Try turning off lights in rooms that aren’t in use, like closets or storage areas where no one spends much time anyway (or if they do spend time there, they won’t notice additional darkness).
The same goes for turning off lights when leaving your home—it may seem silly at first (“What difference does it make if I leave them on?”) but over time those few minutes add up into savings big enough that they’ll make an impact on your monthly budget
Install Ceiling Fans.
If you’re looking for a cheap and easy way to cool your home, consider installing ceiling fans. Ceiling fans have been shown to save up to $180 a year on energy costs. They’re also easy to install, so you won’t need to hire an electrician or plumber—just follow these tips:
- Choose the right ceiling fan for your room based on its size and location.
- Check that the blades do not touch or obstruct anything above or below them (such as light fixtures or smoke detectors). If they do, make sure they are far enough away from these objects so that they don’t interfere with their movement.
- Make sure there’s at least 7’3″ clearance from floor level up through where the ceiling fan will be installed before choosing a blade length based on how much sunlight comes into each room over time during summer months. This can help prevent dust buildup in between blades due to long periods of being stationary without any room air circulation being present at all times throughout hot weather months within one’s house.”
Pay Attention to Your Thermostat Settings.
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that if you keep your thermostat at 78 degrees, you’ll save more energy than if it’s set to 70 or 80. But that isn’t the only way to go green with your thermostat.
Be aware of what time of day it is too: If you are doing chores around the house and not in bed sleeping, turn off the air conditioning and open some windows instead. You can also use fans strategically for maximum effect on hot days (or nights). The same goes for when you’re away from home all day—have a friend check on these things for you!
Minimize the Use of Energy-Hungry Appliances.
- Use Energy-Efficient Appliances
As much as possible, buy appliances that are energy efficient. This will help you save on electricity bills and also reduce your carbon footprint. For instance, a gas water heater is more cost-effective than an electric one since it uses less energy to heat water. If you have an older model of air conditioner or central heating system, consider having them replaced with more efficient versions from a reputable company in your area.
- Turn Off When Not In Use
When not using your appliances, turn off their switches or unplug them from the socket/power bar so they don’t continue to consume power even when they aren’t being used.
Seal Your Windows.
- Weather-stripping. If your windows are drafty, weather stripping is a good place to start. It’s easy to install and inexpensive, but if you don’t have the tools or know how for this project it might be best left to a professional. Requesting quotes from window repair companies can get you all the information you need about what options are available in your area. You’ll also want to consider whether or not it’s necessary for them to replace all of your old weather stripping with new material—this may not be needed unless they discover damage while inspecting the frame after removing some of the old stuff.
- Draft stopper kit (also called draft dodger). This one involves purchasing an insulating product that sticks on top of each pane in order to close any gaps between each individual piece of glass in order to reduce heat transfer and improve energy efficiency at home during summer months
Install Shades, Blinds or Curtains to Block Direct Sunlight.
- You can install shades, blinds or curtains in your home to block direct sunlight during summer so that it doesn’t penetrate the room and heat up your home. This will also help keep UV rays out of the room which are known to cause skin damage in summer.
- Choose light-colored shades that reflect heat rather than absorb it into the house. This will reduce temperature and make your home more comfortable for you and your family members during hot weather conditions.
Read: Tips For Preparing Your Home For Summer Weather And Temperature Changes
Move Your Furniture.
If you have heavy furniture near a window, make sure that it’s clear of the sun. This will create a nice shady space for you to sit and read or take a nap in the heat. If there’s any furniture that gets in the way of air flow, move it out from under your ceiling fan! You can also move your heavier pieces into an unused room and use them as storage until winter rolls around again.
Close the vents, doors and registers to unused rooms
The most important thing you can do to reduce energy usage is to close the vents, doors and registers in unused rooms. This will help keep cool air from leaking out of your home, which can cause your HVAC system to work harder and use more energy. It’s also important to close registers on windows that are not being used because this can cause drafts that result in uncomfortable temperatures in your home.
Read: How to Choose the Perfect HVAC System for Your Home?
Do not keep freezers or refrigerators in an unheated garage, basement or other unconditioned space.
You can improve the energy efficiency of your appliances by setting them up correctly.
- Do not keep freezers or refrigerators in an unheated garage, basement or other unconditioned space.
- In hot weather, set the temperature controls on the unit to the lowest level that will safely maintain food quality. When you use a room air conditioner, it is a good idea to turn off the freezer compartment if possible. The same is true when using a window air conditioner—turn off all compartments except those containing frozen food that must be kept cool.
- Place freezers and refrigerators at least 4 inches from walls and leave some space around them so they can get good circulation when they are operating; this helps prevent mold growth inside these appliances. It also helps prevent frost buildup on exterior surfaces during extremely cold weather (below 32°F).
There are modern solutions to limiting energy use in your home in the summer.
Here are some modern solutions to limiting energy use in your home in the summer:
- Install a smart thermostat. The Nest Learning Thermostat (available for purchase at Nest.com/ca) is an easy-to-use option that learns your preferences and makes adjustments accordingly, reducing energy usage when you’re away or asleep.
- Install double-glazed windows or better yet triple glazing windows (or even quadruple-glazing windows). The improvements are usually worth it in terms of comfort and cost savings on heating bills—but they’re also significantly better for the planet too!
Read: Ways to cool down a windowless room
Conclusion
You don’t need to spend a fortune on energy-saving strategies or sacrifice your comfort. You can start saving money right now with simple changes to how you run your air conditioner and use other appliances in your home. We’ve also suggested some more substantial, but affordable and practical, improvements that you can make over time as well.
We hope you enjoyed learning more about the various ways to improve energy efficiency in your home. We understand that it can be hard to make a change, but remember that you do not need to do everything all at once. You can take small steps towards your goal of being more energy-efficient. A good place to start is by setting up a plan for what you will implement first, second and so on. Another helpful tip is to try and make one change every month or so, this will help keep things from being overwhelming while allowing progress towards your goal!
Leave a Reply