Summer’s finally here, and that means the sun is out, the surf is in, and barbeque grills everywhere are being fired up in preparation. But the rise in warm weather could signal a tidal wave of a different sort for a lot of people – much higher energy bills.
That’s right, in order in combat the sometimes unbearable heat and humidity (depending on where you’re spending your summer this year), the majority of us will run to the air conditioner and see how quickly we can get it going full blast. Then, we’ll go to every room in the house with a fan, ceiling or otherwise, and crank that sucker up to 11 too. Or we could just build a tent in front of the fridge and call it a day. Hey, it worked for the Simpsons…
Whatever method you choose to keep cool this summer, it’s probably a safe bet that your energy bill is about to add an extra zero to itself, especially if you are leaving it at full blast for the majority of the day. That’s quite a lot of hot water you could find yourself in. Since we all like to save money – especially in the summertime, when there are so many better things to spend your hard-earned duckets on – I thought I’d share some tips for saving on your energy bill so you can spend on more important things, like beer and ribs.
• Close all the blinds. Okay, maybe not ALL the blinds – we all like a little sunlight in the house for the natural light. But having every window open means the sun’s pouring in a lot of heat as well. Your best bet to beat it? Keep the blinds of any room in the house not occupied closed. Sure, the house may be a little darker, but it will also be quite a bit cooler as well, which means you won’t be running the fans quite as often.
• Clean out your filters. If you want to make sure your air conditioner is running at its full capacity, and not just using up all the energy in the room, make sure you clean it and any other air filters in the house. Clean filters improve air filtration, meaning it’ll be easier to get the hot air out. Experts say you should change your filters annually, to remove any dust and dirt that builds up and traps hot air inside. You should also regularly clean the drain in your air conditioner to prevent the moisture and dust from turning to mold.
• Turn the air off when you don’t need it. When you’re asleep at night, or out during the day, don’t leave the thermostat on in the name of coming home to a cool house. The air is cooler at night anyway, so why bother keeping extra cool air circulating at the cost of a paycheck? As for when you’re out and about during the day, switch the air off and, if it really is hot out that day, run a fan by the air conditioner or vent to help circulate cool air. You might also want to look into a programmable thermostat to make adjustments even easier.
• Do it yourself. In addition to drawing the blinds in your rooms, you can come up with other ways to provide some shade to home as well. Anything from adjusting an outdoor umbrella so that it shades your windows from incoming sunlight, to planting a tree that will eventually shade your roof, anything you can do to naturally cool the air in your home without raising your energy bill is welcome.
As always, for more detailed advice on personal finance, credit repair and debt relief, consult a specialist at My Credit Group.
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