No matter where you live, you likely experience warm weather that leaves you sweating and uncomfortable from time to time. Inevitably, you use the air conditioning to cool your home or set up fans to circulate air. Either way, your energy bill ends up skyrocketing just so that you can stay comfortable in the warmer months. If you’re a victim of this problem, here’s how to save money on your electric bill this summer.
Have a Professional Perform an Electricity Audit
The first step in lowering your electricity bill is knowing what the big spenders are. A lot of electric companies provide free audits, assessing how much energy a home consumes, checking the home’s insulation, and testing for any air leaks. A poorly insulated or sealed home will lower the efficiency of its own cooling and heating system. In addition, knowing what units are eating up the most electricity can help you cut back on usage.
Build Electricity-Saving Habits
Sometimes, simple habits can have a big effect on how much electricity you’re using. It might seem silly and repetitive, but shutting off your lights when you leave a room makes a genuine difference. For example, if you use a 60-watt incandescent bulb and pay 10 cents per kilowatt-hour, you can lose up to 17 cents a day. Ultimately, you’re spending $62.05 per year, per room.
In addition, regularly replacing your air filter and keeping doors closed can improve air circulation, ultimately saving you money.
Upgrade Your Home
Programmable thermostats can control your air conditioning for you when you can’t. This means your home won’t cool down or warm up when you don’t want it to. Also, properly sealing doors and windows prevents precious cool air from escaping.
If your home still isn’t cool enough, a retractable screen door can let in cool air and help it circulate. Also, installing UV mesh in your doors or windows blocks the sun’s harsh rays and keeps your home cool while allowing outside air to flow throughout your home.
Now that you know how to save money on your electric bill this summer, you can stay comfortable during the summer without having to pay as much for it.
