Cool and Cost-Effective: Summer Energy Saving Tips

We all love a nice, air-conditioned home on the hottest days of summer, but no one looks forward to the bill for it. Here are a few ways to stay cool without shelling out the big bucks.

Tactic 1: Minimize Heat Sources 

• Close your blinds and eliminate direct sunlight coming in and heating up a room.

• Avoid placing lamps or TV sets near your room air-conditioning thermostat. The thermostat will sense heat from these appliances and run more than necessary.

• Avoid using the oven on hot days, as your air conditioning will have to go into overdrive to counteract all the heat produced. Cook on the stove or grill outside.

• Skip the dryer and all the heat it produces by hanging clothes to dry

Tactic 2: Lower Your Energy Usage 

• Avoid setting your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you first turn it on. It will not cool your home any faster, but it will work harder than necessary.

• Choose fans over air conditioning as they use significantly less energy. However, turn off the fans when you leave the room. Fans cool people by creating a wind chill effect on the skin, but have no effect on the temperature of a room.

• The smaller the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be. Having the temperature set 5 degrees higher for 8 hours a day can reduce your energy bill by 10%

• Unplug electrical items you aren’t using constantly – like game consoles or anything with an LED indicator light or digital clock – as they use power and often generate heat

Tactic 3: Switch to an Evaporative Air Cooler 

Evaporative air coolers (or swamp coolers, as they are sometimes called) lower the temperature by moving hot air across water. As a fan blows the air across a water reservoir, the air picks up small water particles, which evaporate as they are blown away. The evaporating water cools the air nearby the same way drying sweat cools people down. Here’s what else you need to know:

• Units are portable and can be placed anywhere in your home or moved from room to room as needed

• They are great for dry climates, but not useful in particularly humid environments

• Air temperature can be successfully lowered by 5-15 degrees

• Air conditioners use 90% more energy than an evaporative air cooler, so making this switch can drastically lower your energy bill

If you’re interested in more info about an evaporative cooler, click here.

And that’s it for the June newsletter. Enjoy the start of summer, and I look forward to seeing you back here next month.