7 Tips To Reduce Your Summer Energy Bill
Summer is supposed to be a time for vacations, barbecuing, swimming, and enjoying all that our beautiful area has to offer. If you're buried under expensive electric bills from keeping your house at a comfortable temperature, however, it can be harder to allocate funds to enjoying your summer activities. Our Lake of the Ozarks title company is here to help you keep energy costs down by identifying a few simple ways you may be able to reduce your summer cooling costs.
1. Reverse Your Ceiling Fans
If you haven't already, now is the time to check your ceiling fans to make sure they're rotating in the right direction. During the warm summer months, your fans should be spinning counter-clockwise. This will help it to push the air straight down, which creates a cooling effect. By using your fans to create a refreshing breeze in your home, you may be able to get away with raising the thermostat by a few degrees.
2. Close Off Unused Areas
Do you have a guest bedroom that is only used on certain occasions? How often do you spend time in your basement? If there are certain areas of your house that are rarely used, close the vents and doors to these rooms. There's no point in paying to cool parts of the house that you aren't using. Since basements are often cooler anyway, you may be able to close these vents in the summer even if you use the space regularly.
3. Have Your HVAC Inspected
If you haven't done so yet, consider hiring a professional to provide a seasonal inspection of your air conditioner. Your inspector can evaluate your system to make sure it is free of leaks and that it is operating at maximum efficiency. If something is wrong with your system, it may have to worker harder (and thus use more energy) to keep your house cool.
4. Turn Off The Lights
One of the best things about summer is the prolonged hours of natural light the sun offers. Use this to your advantage by relying on natural light throughout the day and minimizing your use of electric lights as much as possible. Even if you have energy-efficient LED light bulbs, every little bit will help!
5. Change Air Filters Regularly
As your HVAC system cycles air through your house, it pushes the air through a filter to remove dust, pollen, and other small particles floating in the air. As your filter becomes dirty and/or clogged, your system has to work harder to push air through it. When your system is running regularly, experts recommend that you change your filter every 1-2 months to prevent your system from working harder and, consequently, running up your electric bills.
6. Unplug Devices When Not In Use
Though you probably don't think much about it, your electronic devices often pull certain amounts of power even when they are turned off. Consider unplugging your television when you aren't using it. The same applies to computers, chargers, radios, cable boxes, and wifi. They may not pull a lot at any one time, but their cumulative effect may be substantial.
7. Limit Direct Sunlight
While the sun provides welcome natural light, it also provides extra energy and heat. If your windows face the sun during the day, consider installing blinds or curtains to limit the amount of direct sunlight that enters your home. This will help prevent your air conditioner from having to work extra hard to counteract the heat that the sun brings into the home.
Our hope is that by following these simple suggestions, you will be able to lower your summer energy bill. Saving money on energy costs should give you more money to put towards the fun activities you have planned for this exciting season.
What other strategies do you have for lowering your summer electric bill? Let us know in the comments below!
Arrowhead Title: Your Resource At The Lake
Our Lake of the Ozarks title company offers a variety of services to meet our clients' title and escrow needs. Title searches, title insurance, title reports, escrow, and closings are just a few examples of the services we offer. For more information about Arrowhead Title, Inc. give us a call at 573-302-1950 or visit our website at www.ArrowheadTitle.com.
The Lake of the Ozarks' Most Trusted Title Company
Where Accuracy Matters!
If you haven't already, now is the time to check your ceiling fans to make sure they're rotating in the right direction. During the warm summer months, your fans should be spinning counter-clockwise. This will help it to push the air straight down, which creates a cooling effect. By using your fans to create a refreshing breeze in your home, you may be able to get away with raising the thermostat by a few degrees.
2. Close Off Unused Areas
Do you have a guest bedroom that is only used on certain occasions? How often do you spend time in your basement? If there are certain areas of your house that are rarely used, close the vents and doors to these rooms. There's no point in paying to cool parts of the house that you aren't using. Since basements are often cooler anyway, you may be able to close these vents in the summer even if you use the space regularly.
3. Have Your HVAC Inspected
If you haven't done so yet, consider hiring a professional to provide a seasonal inspection of your air conditioner. Your inspector can evaluate your system to make sure it is free of leaks and that it is operating at maximum efficiency. If something is wrong with your system, it may have to worker harder (and thus use more energy) to keep your house cool.
One of the best things about summer is the prolonged hours of natural light the sun offers. Use this to your advantage by relying on natural light throughout the day and minimizing your use of electric lights as much as possible. Even if you have energy-efficient LED light bulbs, every little bit will help!
5. Change Air Filters Regularly
As your HVAC system cycles air through your house, it pushes the air through a filter to remove dust, pollen, and other small particles floating in the air. As your filter becomes dirty and/or clogged, your system has to work harder to push air through it. When your system is running regularly, experts recommend that you change your filter every 1-2 months to prevent your system from working harder and, consequently, running up your electric bills.
6. Unplug Devices When Not In Use
Though you probably don't think much about it, your electronic devices often pull certain amounts of power even when they are turned off. Consider unplugging your television when you aren't using it. The same applies to computers, chargers, radios, cable boxes, and wifi. They may not pull a lot at any one time, but their cumulative effect may be substantial.
7. Limit Direct Sunlight
While the sun provides welcome natural light, it also provides extra energy and heat. If your windows face the sun during the day, consider installing blinds or curtains to limit the amount of direct sunlight that enters your home. This will help prevent your air conditioner from having to work extra hard to counteract the heat that the sun brings into the home.
Our hope is that by following these simple suggestions, you will be able to lower your summer energy bill. Saving money on energy costs should give you more money to put towards the fun activities you have planned for this exciting season.
What other strategies do you have for lowering your summer electric bill? Let us know in the comments below!
Arrowhead Title: Your Resource At The Lake
Our Lake of the Ozarks title company offers a variety of services to meet our clients' title and escrow needs. Title searches, title insurance, title reports, escrow, and closings are just a few examples of the services we offer. For more information about Arrowhead Title, Inc. give us a call at 573-302-1950 or visit our website at www.ArrowheadTitle.com.
The Lake of the Ozarks' Most Trusted Title Company
Where Accuracy Matters!
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