Lower Your Summer Energy Bills

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Summer sunshine and warm weather are great when you’re outdoors, but they can lead to costly energy bills indoors.

Here are some tips for cool savings on your summer energy bills.

Air conditioning

• Avoid setting your thermostat colder than normal when you turn on the air conditioner. It won’t cool the home any faster, and could lead to unneeded cooling and expense.
• Replace your air filters and clean registers regularly; avoid blocking registers.
• When you’re away, set the thermostat at a higher setting.
• Using a programmable thermostat makes it easier to raise temperature settings while you’re away, and lower them when you’re home.
• Keep lamps and warm appliances away from the thermostat.

Fans and ventilation

• Set ceiling fans to run counter-clockwise in the summer, which creates a cooler, “wind chill” effect.
• Turn off ceiling fans when you leave the room; fans cool people, not rooms.
• Adjust your thermostat when using your ceiling fan for additional energy savings on air conditioning.
• Use the bathroom fan to remove heat and humidity when showering.

Window treatments

• Highly reflective slat blinds can reduce heat gain around 45 percent when closed and lowered on sunny windows.
• Closed drapes stay cooler in the summer compared to other window treatments. Their pleats and folds lose heat through convection.
• Medium-colored draperies with white-plastic backings can reduce heat gains by as much as 33 percent.

Other steps

• Take short showers instead of baths.
• Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes, and air dry both when possible.
• Avoid using the oven on hot days, and opt for the stove, microwave or outdoor grill.
• Reduce your use of heat-producing items like computers, hair dryers and televisions.

By following some or all of these steps, you can save money for things that matter the most to you this summer – and all year round!

Check out this related resource:

Save Money with Energy Efficiency