Cool Off – How to Save Money on Your Energy Bills During Summer!

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Help decrease your energy bills with these tips!

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Summer brings with it sunshine, vacations, and outdoor fun. However, it also often means soaring temperatures and the need for constant air conditioning to stay comfortable. As the mercury rises, so do our energy bills. With a few simple adjustments, you can keep your home cool and comfortable and save you money during the sizzling summer months. 

Here are a few ways to be more energy efficient during these summer months!

The truth is, you may be saving money on gas and mileage now, but what you’re saving in that category is likely being funneled to your energy bill. Help decrease your energy bills with these tips!

Close Your Drapes.

The sun may help to decrease the use of lighting around your home, but direct sunlight streaming through your windows can heat up your home much faster than you’d be able to cool it down. Minimize the sun’s access by closing drapes, blinds or shades on south and west-facing sides of the house.

Blackout curtains are energy efficient, as they are made of materials with thermal insulation properties. They’ll help prevent sunlight from entering into the room, while also preventing heat from escaping during the winter months, helping you save on those energy bills!

Save the Laundry for Later.

Activities that require water such as laundry, dishwashing, or showering can make your home feel warmer, because the air will feel humid, too! Save those for early morning or later in the evening, as the sun is not nearly as strong then.

Your air conditioning unit, if you have one, has a major responsibility to cool down your home, but air conditioners will be working overtime as they try to remove the humidity – jacking up that energy bill.

Make sure to turn heat-generating devices off, too, such as dishwashers and dryers, which can generate significant heat. Of course, stoves and cooktops are also top of the list, so when it’s time to cook, opt for firing up that barbeque instead of your range!

Circulate Stagnant Air.

Monitoring the temperature both inside and out of your home can help you determine when it is time to open the windows, or plug in a fan. Ventilating your home, while a fresh breeze may feel nice, often allows humidity to come back into your home, so be mindful of the weather outside of your home.

Homes without air conditioners will likely keep windows open all summer long, unless you invest in a window A/C unit. Make sure to close any other window in the home if you choose to turn your window unit on, as you’ll waste a tremendous amount of energy otherwise.

Heat rises, so if you have any upper-story windows, open them to let the hot air out at night.

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