Summer electric bills can sometimes come as a shock. The soaring temperatures often lead to an ever-running air conditioner, and in turn, those shocking bills show up in your mailbox.
However, this doesn’t have to be the case. There are many ways to cut back on your electricity usage and cut down on those enormous electric bills. As a bonus, not only will you be going easier on your wallet, you’ll be making the earth a bit greener while you’re at it.
Here are five easy ways to be more energy efficient during summer.
- Use Appliances and Electronics Wisely
While you may not consider your phone charger, television, or stove to be huge electricity hogs, you’d be surprised just how much power all the little electronics and appliances you use throughout your home use as a whole. For this reason, it is important to turn off the television or computer when you are finished, use the hairdryer only when necessary, and turn off the electric stove top as soon as possible.
Additionally, it is important to note that many electronic devices will continue drawing power even after they have been shut off. Because of these “phantom energy” consumers, it is generally a good idea to unplug any electronics and chargers when not in use.
- Use the A/C Less
By turning your thermostat up just a few degrees you can save hundreds on our electric bills. Try keeping the air conditioner set to 78 degrees (F) when you are home, and 85 degrees when you are away. You will quickly become accustomed to the new temperature in your home, and the cost savings are incredible.
If you are looking for ways to cut down even more on your air conditioner usage, try running fans to help cool the house for a fraction of the cost of an A/C unit. Avoiding oven or stove usage during the hottest parts of the day is also helpful, and skipping hair-drying sessions whenever possible will help a bit too.
- Replace Air Filters
There really isn’t any hard and fast rule on how often to change your AC air filter, but the fact of the matter is that any air conditioner will run more efficiently with a clean filter. Because of this fact, it is a good idea to change out your air filter about once a month during the hot season. You will be surprised how much this helps reduce your electric bill.
- Change Window Treatments
Though the initial investment of recovering all of your windows may be quite a lot, the end result is a cooler home and much lower electric bills that will quickly reimburse you the cost of those window treatments. Blackout curtains are your best bet for summer time window treatments, but high-quality, well-installed blinds or shades can do the trick just as well.
Once you have your new window coverings installed, be sure to use them appropriately by closing them according to where the sun is throughout the day. If you will be gone for an entire day or more, close all of the shades in the house for best results.
- Double-Check Insulation
If your home is not properly insulated, cool air will quickly escape to the outdoors and be wasted. This causes your air conditioner to run much more often than is necessary. In order to avoid this wasteful situation, it is important to check out the insulation in your home and fill in any gaps you may find.
Keep in mind that even if your home is well-insulated within the walls and ceiling, there are other places air can escape. These leaks include under your doors and windows, so make sure to close any gaps you may find in those areas as well.
As you can see, there is really no reason you and your family must be slaves to high energy bills during the hot summer months. Follow the steps above and use all the money you save to enjoy your summer by visiting the beach, jumping into the fun at a water park, or riding the day away at an amusement park.
No matter what your family decides to do for fun, you will definitely appreciate having the money to do so while still coming home to a nice, cool haven.
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