5 Home Projects Under $1500 That Will Cut Your Energy Bills This Summer
1. Air Conditioning Maintenance
You rely heavily on your ac unit all summer to get the job done when it counts the most. Scheduling annual maintenance prior to the super hot days set in can certainly help ensure that your air conditioner doesn’t stop working unexpectedly. During regular maintenance, your air conditioner will be cleaned, inspected and any worn parts replaced, so you can count on it to last all year. What’s even better, performing regular maintenance will make sure that it performs at peak efficiency, which in turn can result in lower power bills even when it’s running non-stop.
Cost: The typical cost of annual maintenance on one air conditioning unit is approximately $100. Total costs range between $70 for a one-off check to $150 for regular season-long maintenance.
Money Saving Tips: Replace your AC’s filter regularly. Filters assist in keeping it clean so dirt doesn’t build up on the condenser, causing it to freeze. A clean filter will also help it remain in top working condition.
2. Install a New Thermostat
Were you aware that your thermostat plays a big role in how big or small your electricity bills are each season? You may think of your thermostat as simply the device you set and then forget, but today’s smart thermostats can be programmed to switch off when you aren’t at home, assisting to save a little money. The fact is, new digital models can also be accessed by your phone when you’re away so even if you forgot to shut it off, you still have the option.
Cost: The average cost to install a new digital thermostat is between $200 to $250. Full costs range from $50 for a DIY installation of a manual unit to $700 for an electronic unit.
Money Saving Tips: Invest in a thermostat that permits remote access. Now you can turn your thermostat off even if you stepped away during hours you’d probably normally be home. And in case you would like it to be cool once you return, you can switch it back on right before you get home.
3. Replace Your Solar Screens
By strategically opening and closing windows around your home throughout the day, you are able to help keep the interior of your house cooler without having to resort to the use of the Air conditioning unit. This in turn helps reduce your bills. But it’s only a possibility to do this in the event your solar screens are in good working order. Screens help filter out harmful UV rays that can fade your furnishings, while also keeping insects out of your home. If yours have become full of holes, you may be loathe to open the windows, relying too much on the AC, even on more moderate days. Replacing your screens is not hard and cost effective, and can assist you to keep the bills down at the beginning and end of the season in particular.
Cost: The typical cost to replace the solar screens in two windows is approximately $48. Total costs vary from $23 for DIY replacement to $84 if the screens have to be assembled and installed professionally.
Money Saving Tips: Purchase a screen repair kit to seal up small holes as soon as they happen. This can help keep your screens in working order, while prolonging the need for replacement, and preventing small holes from becoming larger.
4. Install an Attic Fan
One of the most effective ways to cool your whole home and lower your reliance upon your air conditioner is to cool your attic. Heat rises, and if it collects in your attic, the space can become super heated as time passes. This really is bad for your roof, as it can certainly cause the shingles to deteriorate faster, and some of that heat can also transfer down into your entire home, which makes it even hotter. Installing an attic fan may help cool your attic, preventing some of that heat from building up, which means that your utility costs stay lower and your home stays more comfortable.
Cost: The typical cost to install an attic ventilation fan is approximately $275 for a gable-mounted electric fan. Total costs range between $39 for a wind-powered vent to $321 for a unit that can cool up to 3000 feet.
Money Saving Tips: Consider purchasing a solar powered attic fan, which won’t add to your overall utility costs even as it cools your house.
5. Install a Retractable Awning
If you have a deck, porch or patio right off of your property, did you know that you may create a more enjoyable outdoor area and help save money on your energy bills at the same time? Sun shades certainly are a type of retractable awning that installs on the side of your home at the roofline. Extended, it provides a shady area you can sit beneath. It also blocks the sun from entering the windows on this area of the house, which in turn can help prevent a lot of heat build up indoors simultaneously, making you more comfortable inside and outside, and cutting your electric bills.
Cost: The average cost to install a retractable awning is about $300 for a shade up to 30 feet wide, but they can go as high as $450 for an awning with an electric motor.
Money Saving Tips: Install the awning the place that the sun hits your house at the hottest part of the day to assist in keeping things at their coolest. Make sure that you purchase an awning that can handle whatever climate you are in, or that may be removed in winter to help preserve it and prevent it from needing to be replaced frequently.
These five quick fixes might help cut your energy bills by a lot this summer, while making your house more comfortable to be in simultaneously. In need of a new home? Nick & Cindy Davis can assist you there. We help buyers purchase the home of their dreams here in the Tampa Bay and Surrounding Areas. You can always reach us at 813-300-7116 or simply click here and we will be in touch.