It seems like the winter months pass by at a snail’s pace, and the summer can’t arrive soon enough. Summer is a time of fun in the sun, but with the extra daylight, and long summer nights comes hot temperatures. Most homeowners concentrate on ways to save on energy bills during the winter months, but forget about the high cost of cooling during this season. From running air conditioners in the home to taking more daily showers, there are many reasons why your energy bills can increase during the summer months. However, you don’t have to be one of the many homeowners that are paying too much to keep your home cool and comfortable.
It is possible for you to become one of the many people joining in on the eco-friendly craze to cut back on air conditioning use, and cool your home in other unique ways. If you get creative, you can turn your air conditioner down about ten degrees and still have a cool and comfortable abode no matter how scorching outside temperatures are.
Here are the environmentally conscious, energy-saving tips that will put money back into your pockets and allow you to keep your home cool during this hot summer:
1. Upgrade Your Air Conditioning Unit
In order to save money on your energy bills during the hot summer, you don’t have to do away with your air conditioning unit altogether. It just might be time to upgrade to a more energy-efficient option. Replacing your old and outdated air conditioning unit with a new energy-efficient model can offer increased savings. It might cost you more money initially to buy a new air conditioning unit, but it is an investment in your home that will pay off over time. Energy efficient units can be run at lower temperatures and still keep your home cool and comfortable. If you have owned your old unit for 20 years or more, it is definitely time for an upgrade.
2. Switch up Dinner Plans
With summer comes the ability to take your mealtime outdoors. Instead of cooking using your oven or stove every day, you can consider using your outdoor grill or microwave more often. Just heating up your oven can make it more difficult for your air conditioning system to cool your home. Try grilling out at least twice a week. If you need to bake, be sure to use your oven during the morning hours when the temperatures are cooler.
3. Change to an Automated Thermostat
One small change that you can make in your home that can offer huge energy-saving benefits involves going from a manual thermostat to an automated version. Why not use an automated thermostat to control the air conditioning system in your home? This the ideal way to make sure that your air conditioner turns off when you don’t need it, but can be programmed to turn on before the family goes inside for the night. Automatic programmable thermostats give you more control and allow you to customize the cooling within your home to save you money.
4. Block out the Hot Sun
If you have a lot of windows in your home, this might be the cause of the high cost of cooling. When the sun is shining directly into your home, it can substantially raise the indoor temperatures requiring your air conditioner to stay on longer. However, just pulling your window treatments during the daytime can make a huge difference. How can pulling your window treatments help? Blocks hot rays from the sun. Will immediately cool interior space and allow air conditioner to be more efficient at cooling your home.
5. Give Your AC a Rest from Time to Time
Give your A/C a rest!
Just because you have an air conditioning system in your home does not mean that you have to keep it running 24/7. A great trick for saving on your cooling costs is to install a ceiling fan in various rooms throughout your home. This will allow you to periodically turn of your air conditioning system, but still have the ability to circulate the cooler air using ceiling fans.
6. Change the Way You Shower in the Summer
Summer months bring more outdoor activities and increased showers. However, you can still save by turning down the temperature on your hot water tank and take colder showers. By making an effort to take cooler and shorter showers, you can save big on hot water tank usage. Saving energy when cooling your home during the hot summer months does not have to be impossible or a major inconvenience. All of these simple tricks can make a big difference and will add to your bank account, protect the Earth we live in and keep your family cool during the summer months.
About the Author
Carter Morgan is a devoted family man with a hands-on approach. When, he’s not enjoying the wonderful moments of being a husband and father, he is practicing his trade at John Moore Services.
Great ideas. I will be trying a couple of these!