Ways to Lower Your Utility Bill in the Summer A lot of people start looking for ways to save electricity during the summer. Companies are busy installing solar mounting systems throughout the season, as many people feel that going solar is the only way to cut the power bill. It’s a good way, but there are other things you can try before taking any drastic (and potentially expensive) measures.
Set the thermostat and leave it alone. You might think that it’s okay to change the temperature to suit the needs of the day. Maybe you usually turn the AC off completely at night. Odds are that your air conditioner will have to work twice as hard throughout the day to cool your home down, and so it doesn’t advantage you anything. A simpler solution is to set the temperature to a warmer—but still comfortable—temperature and leave it alone. If your home is set to 75 degrees, your air conditioner will keep an even temperature throughout the entire day, and as soon as the temperature gets to 76, the AC will turn on and maintain the atmosphere.
Not using something? Unplug it. Almost everybody hears the advice to just turn off the lights in a room. That makes a difference. However, light bulbs are more efficient now than they used to be, so it’s not going to equate to saving as much as it used to. So if you’re not using an appliance or something like that, unplug it. A little bit of power going to a dozen different gadgets can add up. Going along with turning off lights, close the door when you leave a room, and make sure it’s as shaded in a room as possible. If you have curtains or blinds, draw them so that heat from the summer sun doesn’t heat up the room. And if the door is closed, the rest of your home won’t heat up as quickly, even if one room does. Thus, your air conditioner doesn’t work as hard, and neither does your wallet.
Close the right vents. We’ve been taught since we were small. Cool air sinks while warm air rises. During summer, we want as much cool air as possible, so make sure it doesn’t get trapped at floor level. If you have a basement, close the vents there. If you have vents in your floor and ceiling, close the floor ones. This will help improve the efficiency of the cool air that your air conditioner is producing, and make your home cooler faster.
Increase air circulation. Air circulation can make a world of difference, especially at night. Opening a window and turning on a fan can help the air flow and make your home a lot more comfortable in the late evening and throughout the night. And since you’re only using a fan, the power you pay for isn’t going to heat all the rooms you’re not using. You stay comfortable and you don’t have to pay as much for power. Saving money on your utility bills isn’t an easy thing to do. But there are simple things everyone can do to save a little bit at a time. When you use more than one strategy, your savings are compounded, and your electricity dollar goes further. So before you invest in a wind power or solar mounting system, make small, everyday changes and see how big a difference small things can make. Photo Credit: blogs.plos.org, Farm8