Summer is in full swing and saving money on air conditioning bills is on every homeowner’s mind. Add to that fall and winter seasons will be coming and creative tips about lowering expensive heating bills are always of interest. This summer season, across the nation, extremely high temperatures have caused an increase in the use of air conditioning. Pushing the use of A/C to extreme levels and wracking up expensive utility bills. To stave off the heat, use some energy-saving tips to reduce your high A/C bills.
To lower your spring or summer energy bills, use some tried and true methods as well as creative tips. Plug up the cracks, crevices, and holes in your home. Seal the windows and use door sweeps or stuffed draft dodgers to keep the air from escaping your home. Your summer season goal is to keep out the hot air and retain the cool air. Saving a few pennies or dollars here and there does add up. If you have the funds to invest, add insulation to your home and consider updating your windows and doors. Old windows and doors leak air and waste money. If you don’t have money for new home improvements, then, use tips to improve what you have in place now.
Investing a few dollars on updating old caulking, weatherstripping, and insulation will pay off later with lower electric bills. Find the leaks in windows and doors and seal them up. Fill in the holes and gaps around pipes and fill in cracks in the foundation. Fill in gaps around electrical outlets. Close off unused rooms. Use room darkening shades and blinds. Keep out drafts and purchase insulated curtains. If you feel a draft, find the source and seal it off. Keep the air conditioning system on during the day and reduce it at night. The same goes in the winter months. Lower the heat at night and use warm clothes and blankets to stay warm. During the spring and summer months, use screens in the windows. When the air outdoors feels cooler, open the windows at night. Consider installing a modern programmable thermostat that has a built-in timer and auto-settings. Install the thermostat out of direct sunlight and away from lamps and appliances.
When you are home, set the thermostat at 72 degrees, or a comfortable temp, and leave it there. Constantly adjusting the thermostat wastes energy. When not in use, turn off the lights to keep your home cooler. Lighten up, on the wattage that is, and save money. Instead of using a 100-watt bulb, whenever possible use a 60-watt bulb. Switch to energy-saving fluorescent bulbs that screw into standard bulb sockets. Outside of your home, replace old incandescent lighting with high-pressure sodium lights or outdoor fluorescent lighting. Use solar-powered lights and motion-detection lights. They come on and go off as needed and save money on your utility bill. Simple methods to lower your utility bills adds up to big savings and puts money in the bank.