Sometimes air conditioning can be an absolute necessity for combatting the sweltering summer heat. That’s why a home typically consumes a greater amount of energy between June and September than it does throughout the rest of the year. Electric bills rise to astronomical highs during these months as a result. To reduce energy consumption and preserve some funds in the process, check out these summer savings that should do the trick if executed correctly.
How Summer Savings can Help Cut Down on Energy and Costs
Keeping your Cool
Summer is all about staying cool in the face of tremendous warmth. Of course there’s going to be plenty of occasions where air conditioning is the only solution, but, for the most part, it is a best practice to use it as little as possible.
If you do need to use it, however, remember that the cooler you set it for, the higher your energy bill will be. So try to keep it as warm as you can handle when in use. Otherwise, turn off your cooling systems completely or at least raise them up a bit when you leave your home to reduce costs.
Natural Ventilation
Also, open windows at night when the temperature drops to let the breeze in and cool your home without the use of air conditioning.
Then, during the day, shut the windows and blinds to preserve the cool in your home and prevent heat from getting in. Furthermore, carefully examine your home, including doors and window edges, to locate areas where heat can slip in and then repair them with caulk or weather stripping.
Everyday Tasks
Aside from major, sweeping changes to get the most out of your summer savings, there are also plenty of different precautions you can take on a daily basis to reduce your home’s energy consumption.
Lighting
For instance, when you close your windows and blinds to keep the cool air in, you might need to use more lighting to make up for the absence of natural light. But instead of using typical incandescent light bulbs, consider switching to entirely LED lighting.
Because they use lower wattage and heat, LED bulbs consume less energy and last much longer, so you won’t have to pay a fortune for electricity and don’t need to change the bulbs as often.
Washing Machines
When it comes to washing their clothes, most people tend to use hot water. However, the vast majority of energy used by washing machines goes towards heating the water, so this really isn’t such a great idea if you’re trying to save energy and money.
Instead, consider cold or just warm water for your laundry. After it’s done, dry your clothes outdoors if you can. By reducing energy consumption from not using your washing machine and dryer, you should see lucrative summer savings on your next electric bill.
Cooking
Everyone knows that barbeques are a staple of summer cooking, but do you know why? When you cook in the kitchen during the summer, not only do all of your appliances use a ton of energy, but it can get extremely warm and cause you to rely on cooling devices.
People use their grills to barbeque during the summer so that energy isn’t being consumed and heat isn’t building up in one small area. It’s the best way to stay cool and cut costs with your summer cooking.
If you follow these useful tips and tricks in your home, you should see tons of summer savings on your next electric bill!
