This summer has been a hot one and even though we’ve had a couple lovely days recently, the heat is bound to return. Higher temperatures can lead to much higher energy bills and by the end of the summer it can seem draining. Below are some tips on how to save some money this summer.
- Use a ceiling fan – A ceiling fan can help a room feel up to 10 degrees cooler and uses 10% of the energy of a central air conditioner. In the summer, make sure your fan is set in the counterclockwise directions so that it will push cooler air down and circulate it around the room. Just remember to turn the fan off when you leave since fans don’t really cool air, just people.
- Use your window coverings – one of the simplest ways to help the heat and energy in the summer is to keep your curtains and blinds closed during the day when the sun is at its hottest.
- Use your programmable thermostat – there is a common misconception that having your AC run all day to keep your home at a constant temperature will use less energy that raising while you’re away during the day. In actuality, heat always flows from a hotter environment to a cooler environment until it reaches a state of equilibrium. This is true for your home also. The larger the temperature difference between your home and outside, the more heat flow there will be. This also emphasizes the importance of having a well-sealed and insulated home to keep the cool air in and warm air out.
- Summertime grilling – If you’re really trying to save on energy and keep the inside cool – start planning meals around the grill so the oven doesn’t heat up the house.
- Get an AC tune up – Ideally you should have your AC maintenance once a year, ideally in the spring. During a tune up, the HVAC tech will clean the system and perform preventative maintenance. You should also check throughout the summer that your outside unit has room to breathe and is not surrounded with foliage or covered with dirt.
- Make sure your chimney damper is closed for the summer – sometimes it’s easy to forget about the chimney, but you want to make sure it’s closed tight so your cool air doesn’t escape!
- Turn off your lights – When energy bills are at a high during the summer it’s a good time to remember those moments of your mom and dad yelling when you were a kid “turn off the lights!” You may also want to save energy by switching to LED bulbs.
If you’re getting more serious about making sure your home is sealed up tight and energy efficient, you may want to call in an expert for an energy audit. The purpose of an energy evaluation is to see where energy is used. Insulation can be placed in different areas of the home in order to make it more energy efficient which can help you save money. If you need any recommendations for energy audit or insulation professionals, don’t hesitate to contact us!