7 Easy Ways To Lower Your Energy Bill
It’s August, and Summer is ready to give us our hottest month yet! You’ve probably already seen surges in your utility bills this far into Summer. Did you know the average household spends $405 on their electric bill during the summer?
We’ve come up with these simple tricks that require minimal effort to help you save on your home energy budget every season, every year.
1. If you don’t need it, don’t use it.
Every degree the thermostat is raised or lowered, 4 to 8 percent can be saved on heating and cooling costs! When you’re sleeping or leaving your home, the thermostat can be set to 78 – 80 degrees (summer) to yield noticeable savings.
2. Use a set-time thermostat.
Programmable thermostats have come a long way in energy efficiency. It allows you to set a schedule for your home, like when you’re sleeping or away and it will adjust the temperatures accordingly. There are additional modern thermostats that set themselves and learn your schedule by your behavior, which takes out the guesswork of setting a schedule! Some of these companies claim to lower electricity bills by 20 percent!
3. Check for thorough home insulation.
Insulation might be one of the most important pieces of your home’s puzzle. If your home is not insulated properly, it makes your AC/heating systems work harder to heat or cool your home because of air escaping through spaces that should be protected. Check your attic and crawl space for missing or low hanging insulation and verify your caulking and weather-stripping are in good condition to also maximize the functionality of your home’s efficiency.
4. Replace your filters regularly.
Gunked-up air filters block normal airflow and drastically reduce a system’s efficiency. Replacing a dirty filter will actually lower your energy consumption by 5 percent or more!
5. Turn on your fans.
Your ceiling fan can cool the room by roughly 4 degrees! If you turn your AC down that extra 4 degrees, it will give your system the break it needs, working less and saving you money.
6. Take advantage of your windows.
If you reside in a climate where the evenings and nights are cooler, then take advantage of that. Open your windows and enjoy a cool and natural breeze throughout the night. Early mornings also tend to be the coolest so by using the weather’s natural resource you can cool your home down in the morning, giving your system a break until your house is warm enough to engage the AC system again.
7. Utilize good blinds.
Window treatments will help save energy and make your house look good! Blinds and drapes can reduce the amount of heat you gain in your home by 45 percent! Although it does make your home dark, if you routinely close them while you’re gone, you’ll still notice significant savings.
Don’t let wild energy bills ruin your budget.
Let us know if these tips worked for you!
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