Considering that the weather is starting to warm up, it’s time to start thinking about methods to save on utility bills and energy costs before you’re shocked by your first big bill this summer. Luckily, there are plenty of steps you can take to prepare your home (and your wallet) for the summer heat without having to sacrifice comfort. So, before you turning up the AC, take a look at our top ways to save on utility bills this summer. Your budget will thank you!
10 Tips on How to Reduce Utility Bills during the Summer
1. Get Your HVAC System Ready
Is there anything worse than a broken HVAC system during the summer time? The good news is you can avoid this if you take precautions and getting your HVAC ready for summer. First, you’ll want to clean or change the air filter as dirty or clogged filters force your air conditioning system to work much harder, that can cause more wear and tear in the long-run. You’ll also want to inspect your outdoor unit for any visible signs of damage including warped panels, torn insulation or rust. In the colder months, small animals may nest inside the insulation so you’ll need to inspect the inside as well. Taking these steps to ensure your AC unit is working efficiently can help keep your energy bills low this summer.
2. Clean Air Filters and Vents
Many homeowners make the mistake of closing off vents in rooms that are not being used, but closing vents causes more pressure in the ducts causing your air conditioner to operate much harder. Before you turn the AC on this summer, open all the vents and give them a good cleaning.
3. Keep Blinds Closed
Did you know that keeping your blinds closed during the day can drastically decrease the heat in your home? Keeping them open creates a greenhouse like effect-sunlight and heat pour in all day and can’t get out, making your home much warmer and causing your air conditioning to work over-time, which in turn will spike up your power bill.
4. Lower Your Utility Rates
Are you living in a deregulated energy region? If so, you will have the power to choose your energy provider and may shop around for the lowest energy rates. For those who haven’t researched your choices in a while, summer is the perfect time to reevaluate your present energy provider and discover if there is a cheaper rate out there. Many deregulated energy providers offer special promotions in the summer, like “free nights,” so you may want to consider what else is out there. To determine if you live in a deregulated area, just enter your address here.
5. Time Your Thermostat
If you want to be cost conscious this summer, you shouldn’t blast your air conditioning at all hours of the day. A lower temperature setting in the evening along with a higher setting throughout the day is recommended for optimal cost savings. If you’re forgetful or aren’t always around to change it, we suggest installing a programmable thermostat that allows you to schedule your temperature changes even when you aren’t home.
6. Change to LED Bulbs
While incandescent light bulbs are cheap, they use more energy and produce a substantial amount of heat in comparison to LED bulbs. LED bulbs are generally a little more expensive than incandescent lights, but they last longer, produce less heat and produce great energy savings in the long run. So, consider making the switch the LED lights, at least in the rooms you use most, to help lower your utility bills this summer.
7. Purchase a Water Cistern
If you don’t know, a water cistern is actually a device that captures rain water and stores it for you to use to water your garden or lawn, to wash your car, etc. Your water bill can get out of hand in the summer as you spend more time outdoors, so a water cistern is a great investment if you’d like to keep your garden and lawn green all summer long without paying for extra water use.
8. Use Your Ceiling Fan
In the warmer months, it is best to run your ceiling fans counter-clockwise. Since heat rises, the counter-clockwise motion will help pull the cold air up toward the ceiling. Running your ceiling fan efficiently can help cool your rooms, allowing you to set your thermostat to a higher temperature, ultimately lowering your power bill.
9. Purchase Smart Power Strips
Connecting multiple appliances to a smart power strip which can be turned off with only one flip of a switch at night when the devices aren’t being used can be a quick and simple approach to help reduce energy waste. When you don’t have to unplug every one of your devices individually, saving energy suddenly becomes easier!
10. Don’t Use an Irrigation Schedule
Irrigation schedules or timers that you may set to schedule when your garden or lawn are going to be watered sound nice in theory, but they actually produce quite a bit of water waste. You can’t control when it rains, and you may not be home to stop your irrigation system from going off when it does. Watering manually feels like a chore, however when you consider all the money it can save you from reducing water waste, manual watering becomes more appealing.
Don’t allow the first utility bills of summer sneak up on you. Be proactive and implement our tips, we promise they’ll help save big on your utility bills this summer!
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