Summer brings with it an incredibly warm embrace from the sun, children scampering about with nary a care in the world, and higher energy bills. There are many things that you can do to help lower your summer energy bill without making large modifications to your daily lifestyle. Lower utility bills are something that everybody can use, as people are constantly looking for ways to save money in their everday life.
There are 10 surefire methods to lowering your summer energy bills that involve simple things around the house. Lower summer energy bills can mean more money to enjoy trips in the sunshine, or can also lead you to saving more money on your winter heating bills as well. Saving year round can add up to a lot of savings, and can free up a lot of money for other expenses.
1) Install a Programmable Thermostat - this enables you to regulate the temperature in your house on an hourly basis, which can help you to drastically reduce your summer energy bill. Setting the thermostat to save you money is easy, and is done with a few simple pushes of a button. The air conditioning does not need to be on full blast at certain portions of the day, and at night open windows allow fresh air to circulate, and cool down the house. While at work, the house does not need to be air conditioned either. This is a very simple way to lower your summer energy bills.
2) Install Ceiling Fans - ceiling fans help to cool houses down, and run on much less electricity than do air conditioning units. The air is circulated, and the room can be kept cool. The whir of the ceiling fan is also comforting, and can often soothe people to sleep, most notable colicky babies. Make sure to buy ceiling fans that have reversible blades, because you should run a ceiling fan counter-clockwise in the summer, and clockwise in the winter.
3) Hang Your Clothes to Dry - a typical dryer generates heat, and also wastes electricity or gas. Allow the sun to dry your clothes for free by hanging them outside on a clothes line. This will help you to greatly lower your summer energy bill.
4) Rain Barrels - by having rain barrels attached to your downspouts, you can greatly reduce your water bill. The rain water can be used to water flowers, water the grass, fill toddler pools or top up low water levels in ponds.
5) Wash Dishes - instead of putting on the dishwasher, which uses energy and also generates heat, wash dishes the old fashioned way, by hand. This will save on heat generated in the kitchen, which would use more energy to cool down. You can even use the water collected in the rain barrels to wash your dishes.
6) Clean Filters - make sure that your filters are replaced regularly in your furnace, and have your duct work cleaned out on a regular basis to ensure that your appliances are working to their optimum capacity. Your summer energy bills will thank you.
7) Check Window Seals - many windows and doors need to be re-caulked, and they are allowing a draft to come in, which could be really humid air, or it might allow cool air to escape. Either way, save yourself some money and check all of your windows and doors. Windows with tints also deflect a lot of heat, which can keep rooms cooler.
8) Light Bulbs - switch to Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs that use far less wattage to illuminate a room. They also last for up to seven years, which will save you lots of money in the long run.
9) Vents - air vents can be closed off in some rooms of the house so that the desired rooms to cool can be satisfied in a much more efficient manner. It is senseless to cool rooms that are not used often, such as the laundry room. Keep the vents open in the bedrooms, and on the main floor. The downstairs vents need not be on, since basements are often much cooler naturally.
10) Awnings - having awnings can keep an awful lot of sunlight from entering your house and warming it up. With awnings, it will not be nearly as necessary to run a costly air conditioning unit for hours at a time.
By making these 10 simple adjustments to your home, you can greatly lower your summer energy bills and get outside to take advantage of the great summer weather.