Don't let the summer overheat your budget! Here are several simple ways to cut your energy costs:
1. Keep blinds and curtains closed on the windows so the hot sun will stay out and keep you cooler.
2. Replace filters more often. Dirty filters can clog your air conditioner and make it work harder to keep you cool.
3. Vacuum the coils underneath or behind your refrigerator. Dusty coils make it harder for your refrigerator to keep foods cold. It's good to do this at least once every 3 months.
4. Buy programmable air conditioner controls. Manually cutting off the air condition and opening windows actually cost you money. Air conditioners not only cool the air but remove moisture which makes you feel cooler at higher temperatures.
5. Keep weeds and debris away from your air conditioner to keep it running more efficiently.
6. Caulk windows, doors, chimney and where plumbing comes out of your house. That will eliminate cracks that allow cool air to escape and the hot air to get in.
7. Turn out lights when leaving a room. Incandescent bulbs can generate almost as much heat as a small heater. Also use lower watt bulbs like 60 watt bulbs instead of 150 watt bulbs.
8. Attach dimmer switchs to lamps and room lights. They cost less than $5 and can save you as much as 50% on energy consumption.
9. Take your cooking to the grill. Cooking on the grill is cheaper than gas or electricity. Plus cooking in your home can raise your room temperature 5-10 degrees.
10. If your fireplace has a flue, keep it closed. Cool air can escape in the summer just like warm air in the winter.
11. Check the insulation if your attic. As the years pass, the insulation will settle and shift. This can create gaps that will allow cool air to escape.
12. Put reflective film on your windows. It is relatively inexpensive and you can do it yourself. This will help keep your carpets and furniture from fading and make your rooms up to 10% cooler.
13. Make sure the air conditioner matches the size of your home. An air conditioner that it too large will cool your home before the humidity can be removed. One that's too small will make it work too hard to cool every room.
14. Using a power strip for all of your computer equipment like speakers, printer, monitor, and CPU will allow you to turn off everything with one switch and will help protect aganst power surges.
15. Remove the refrigerator out of a garage that is uninsulated. It has to work harder to keep the inside cool. Move it to a spare room or an insulated basement or turn it off completely.
16. Attach motion detectors to your outside lights. These are great for safety and are much more cost effective.
Taking cool ideas outside:
17. Planting trees and bushes around your house can help reduce your cooling costs and $100 to $300 per year.
18. Keep your lawn mower tuned up can save you as much as 30% on fuel consumption. Have your mower blade sharpened at the beginning of each season. This will make it able to use less energy and cut grass with less work.
19. Get rid of your above ground sprinkler system because water will evaporate no matter how cool it is outside. Instead, switch to a drip irrigation system that will deliver water directly under ground.
20. Install solar powered lights to line your driveway, sidewalk and above the garage door. They charge all day and can light all night.
1. Keep blinds and curtains closed on the windows so the hot sun will stay out and keep you cooler.
2. Replace filters more often. Dirty filters can clog your air conditioner and make it work harder to keep you cool.
3. Vacuum the coils underneath or behind your refrigerator. Dusty coils make it harder for your refrigerator to keep foods cold. It's good to do this at least once every 3 months.
4. Buy programmable air conditioner controls. Manually cutting off the air condition and opening windows actually cost you money. Air conditioners not only cool the air but remove moisture which makes you feel cooler at higher temperatures.
5. Keep weeds and debris away from your air conditioner to keep it running more efficiently.
6. Caulk windows, doors, chimney and where plumbing comes out of your house. That will eliminate cracks that allow cool air to escape and the hot air to get in.
7. Turn out lights when leaving a room. Incandescent bulbs can generate almost as much heat as a small heater. Also use lower watt bulbs like 60 watt bulbs instead of 150 watt bulbs.
8. Attach dimmer switchs to lamps and room lights. They cost less than $5 and can save you as much as 50% on energy consumption.
9. Take your cooking to the grill. Cooking on the grill is cheaper than gas or electricity. Plus cooking in your home can raise your room temperature 5-10 degrees.
10. If your fireplace has a flue, keep it closed. Cool air can escape in the summer just like warm air in the winter.
11. Check the insulation if your attic. As the years pass, the insulation will settle and shift. This can create gaps that will allow cool air to escape.
12. Put reflective film on your windows. It is relatively inexpensive and you can do it yourself. This will help keep your carpets and furniture from fading and make your rooms up to 10% cooler.
13. Make sure the air conditioner matches the size of your home. An air conditioner that it too large will cool your home before the humidity can be removed. One that's too small will make it work too hard to cool every room.
14. Using a power strip for all of your computer equipment like speakers, printer, monitor, and CPU will allow you to turn off everything with one switch and will help protect aganst power surges.
15. Remove the refrigerator out of a garage that is uninsulated. It has to work harder to keep the inside cool. Move it to a spare room or an insulated basement or turn it off completely.
16. Attach motion detectors to your outside lights. These are great for safety and are much more cost effective.
Taking cool ideas outside:
17. Planting trees and bushes around your house can help reduce your cooling costs and $100 to $300 per year.
18. Keep your lawn mower tuned up can save you as much as 30% on fuel consumption. Have your mower blade sharpened at the beginning of each season. This will make it able to use less energy and cut grass with less work.
19. Get rid of your above ground sprinkler system because water will evaporate no matter how cool it is outside. Instead, switch to a drip irrigation system that will deliver water directly under ground.
20. Install solar powered lights to line your driveway, sidewalk and above the garage door. They charge all day and can light all night.
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