The saying goes 'be careful for what you wish for; you might just get it'. We may just get a scorcher for summer if we keep wishing for summer to get here sooner than normal. After the very harsh winter we experienced, everybody must be wishing for warm weather to come around as soon as possible. The weather hasn't really been that awesome since spring got here but hey this is the North East of the Americas anything can happen. But as we prepare for summer, here are some tips to keep in mind to be energy efficient.
With sweltering temperatures we may get, some of us like to keep our home comfortable and cool. Hence running the air conditioner for long hours which directly increases the energy bill. Fact: depending on the region for a normal family home energy bills can increase averagely to $150.00 -- this depends on the number of AC units turned on at a specific time and how much time is spent at home. For some of us who work from homes, this figure may be a little higher. Using an energy efficient AC unit such an 'Energy Star' rated model may help reduce your cost while helping the environment.
Practicing sustainable behavior may even help stretch the dollar even further. Here are some simple energy effective ideas for us this summer:
Install AC unit in the shade: It’s often unpredictable which side of the home will be shaded. There are variables like a neighbor’s tree, a new fence or highway etc. that may provide shade. But if your AC could be installed in the shade, it will perform better due to reduction on its work load due to decrease in external heat.
Use that ceiling fan: If you have ceiling fans, it would be a good idea to turn them on at the same time your AC is running…'Yes!'…at the same time. This may sound counter-productive but the idea is to quickly circulate the cool air from the AC unit all around the home which will leave you dry and comfortable.
Chores: Try as much as possible to time your chores in a way that would avoid the premium charge during peak hours of the day. You can for example run your dish washer and or washing machines during the early morning hours or late evenings.
Use your Microwave instead: Using your microwave to warm up your food can help save as much as 80% of cooking energy according to Energy Star. Plus, the stove is a high heat generator, it'd be great to use the grill for cooking as it will keep most or all the heat outdoors, thus conserving energy.
Use a programmable thermostat: Automatically setting your programmable thermostats to lower or higher temperatures when the house is unoccupied or at night depending on the season can lower energy bills by roughly $180 a year.
Please leave a comment with more tips and tricks that can help us reduce energy consumption during the summer.