Outdoor temperatures in the summer affect your utility bills when you adjust the thermostat to keep your home comfortable. Here are some easy ways to reduce summer cooling costs.
Effective Ways to Reduce Summer Cooling Costs
No one wants to suffer in hot weather, yet running your AC can be costly. Fortunately, it is possible to lower utility costs while also remaining cool. Each of these recommendations will help lower your energy bill each month. Employ all the tips and tricks to most effectively reduce summer cooling costs.
1. Unplug Unused Appliances
Unused appliances still drain energy when they’re plugged in. An easy way to reduce energy usage is to unplug appliances when they are not needed. This is especially important to remember when you are leaving for vacation. Another tip is to turn on lights only when needed since the bulbs emit heat.
2. Blackout Curtains
A lot of heat in the home is transferred through windows. This affects how much energy is required to lower the temperature, especially when the sun is streaming in during the day.
A great way to reduce the impact of the sun is by adding blackout curtains. Blackout curtains work by blocking out light during sunny weather and insulating windows during cold weather. This inexpensive addition of new curtains pays for itself in reducing your energy bill.
3. Get Smart
Use modern technology to reduce summer cooling costs. Smart home devices allow you to control power to your home’s appliances from your phone and some will even monitor your energy use.
With smart technologies, you can set your thermostat to a higher temperature while you are away and program it to return to a comfortable temperature when you return home. Some smart thermostats detect motion and lower the temperature when they sense someone has entered the home.
4. Use Fans to Reduce Summer Cooling Costs
Even if your home has air conditioning, fans can help cool you down by circulating the conditioned air. They also use less power than air conditioners. Supplement your AC with ceiling fans so the AC unit doesn’t need to work so hard.
5. Cook Inside Less Frequently
Cooking quickly raises the temperature of your home and makes your air conditioner work harder to cool the area. This affects cooling costs and comfort. To stay cool this summer, cook indoors less often. Some alternatives to cooking indoors include grilling outdoors, preparing cold meals, dining out, and ordering takeout.
Premier Inspection Services provides home energy score assessments and other home inspection services to Upstate New York. Contact us to schedule our services.