The weather is heating up and you know what that means: your electric bill is about to follow suit. This is simply the cost involved with running an air conditioner or fans for most of the day, trying to keep overheated living situations livable. But what if your bill didn’t have to skyrocket? What if there were steps you could take to dramatically reduce the amount of energy you’re using as well as the cost of cooling your house during the warmer months of the year? Here are some suggestions…
Proper Maintenance
If you haven’t looked at your air conditioner or thought about your central heating/cooling apparatuses since you used them last summer, it’s time to have them looked at by a professional. Believe us when we tell you that professional air conditioning repair is much more affordable than the exorbitant costs involved in running an A/C unit inefficiently. Repair and maintenance to keep your system running properly and efficiently is one of the best things you can do to keep your cooling bills low this summer.
Opening and Closing Properly
Thoroughly inspect all of the entrances to your home for gaps that will let in the heat. You likely did this when the weather first cooled off as well. Make sure your windows are in good shape. Check out their frames and make sure there aren’t gaps between the window frames and the walls of your home. Do the same with your doors. The goal is to keep the air leaching to a minimum.
After this, you need to change up your opening/closing windows habits. Typically, we open our windows during the day and close them at night. During the summer, especially if you don’t have air conditioning, the opposite needs to happen. Open the windows once the weather has cooled off then close them mid-morning when the heat starts to rise. Keep the cooler air moving within your home with fans.
Block the Sun’s Access
Yes, keeping your shades and curtains drawn can help lower the temperature of your home a little bit, because the darker a space typically the cooler it is. During the summer, though, your goal should be to keep the sun from hitting the windows in the first place. The easiest way to do this is to either close your home’s shutters or, if you don’t have shutters, hang shades up on the outside of the windows. This way the sun doesn’t hit the windows and cause that magnifying glass effect that is usually so common.
If you are a renter, don’t despair. Your landlord might not allow you to hang something outside of your windows, but you might be able to get permission to install weatherproof film on the window panes. Heck, you might even convince your landlord to install the film on all of the windows in your building and even pay for the film and installation costs themselves, because it doesn’t just save you money, it saves them money as well.
Fans Are Awesome
Even if your house does heat up–in spite of your better efforts–strategically placing fans around your home will keep the air moving during the day. Air that moves is cooler than air that stagnates, especially during the hotter months.
Cool Hydration
Stay away from sodas during the summer. They only dehydrate you and make you thirstier. Plus, they’re expensive. Instead, switch to plain cold water (add some frozen berries or slices of lemon or cucumber if you want to add some flavor). The better hydrated you are, the better able your body will be able to deal with the heat.
And, of course, if you’re desperate, taking a quick cool shower or soaking your feet or hands in some cold water can do wonders for lowering your body temperature.
These are just some of the methods you can use to help lower your power bills this summer. The best thing about them? They’re all easily affordable and will definitely earn back what you spend on them in how much they’ll save you over the long haul.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
