by Joan Inong

Created on: July 08, 2010

The summertime heat and the fact that many children stay home more during summer break means that electric bills, in general, will go up. Fortunately, there are simple ways that you can help reduce your electricity consumption during the summer months. When you conserve electricity, you will not only save yourself money but you may reduce the chances of power outages, too.

Unplug when not needed

If you think that simply pushing an appliance's power to "off" will cut off its energy consumption, you might have to try a little experiment. Unplug all of your small appliances, including microwaves, toasters, coffee makers, and computers when they are not in use. Try doing this for a whole month and see what changes you have made to your power bill. You will most likely see a decrease in consumption. That's because your appliances are actually using up electricity even though they are "off." As long as the connection between the plug and the outlet is made, energy consumption is happening. Make sure to turn off all lights when they are not in use, too.

Change up your schedule

Most people use the most power during the day. If you can, try to put off some of your work for later on in the evening. If you want to type or do some web browsing, save it for the night. Try to watch television as little as possible. You can even tape your favorite shows and watch them past 9 p.m., when most people stop using their televisions. You might also think about utilizing the most out of natural light. Open up windows and do reading near a window or outside. This will hopefully reduce the amount of time you leave your lights on.

Use fans or alternative cooling options

Many air conditioners are becoming increasingly energy-efficient. If you cannot help but use an air conditioner, make sure that your unit is up-to-date and meets standards for energy-efficiency. If you can, try to use electric fans. If you live in an arid and dry climate, you can use a swamp cooler. Swamp cooler units are inexpensive (compared to complete air conditioning units) and can save you plenty on your power bill. Consult a local HVAC technician about the energy-efficiency of your air conditioning unit, and ask about some more efficient alternatives.

As you can see, you can make some simple changes to your lifestyle in order to reduce your electricity consumption during the summertime. In fact, most of these tips are probably not new to you. If you make good use of them and follow these tips, you will find smaller electric bills during the summer months.

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