Simple Savings in the Summer
Are you feeling the heat? Here are some simple tips to help you keep your cool without breaking the bank to pay your next electric bill!
- Close curtains and window shades during the hottest part of the day. If you can, stay out of the hottest rooms and keep doors to those rooms closed.
- If you’re not using air conditioning, open the windows at night, use fans to create a cross breeze where you’re sleeping, then close all windows as soon as you wake up. Use fans where people are; turn them off when you leave a room.
- The clothes dryer uses up a lot of energy and produces heat. Try using a clothes line instead. Postpone using the dryer till nighttime.
- Fire up the outdoor grill or use your microwave or countertop appliances for cooking instead of the oven or stove.
- Postpone laundry and dishwashing until nighttime. Wash clothes in cold water and turn off the heated-dry option on your dishwasher.
- Use an exhaust fan to blow hot air out of your kitchen while you’re cooking and hot, humid air out of the bathroom when you’re showering.
- Install energy-saving light bulbs in your most-used fixtures and lamps. Fluorescent and LED bulbs put out less heat. Get free energy-saving bulbs when you have a no-cost Home Energy Assessment.
- If you have a room air conditioner, try to put it in a window that is shaded in the afternoon. Room air conditioners work best when shaded. Use fans to distribute cooled air from the window to the rest of the house. Move heat-producing appliances away from the air conditioner, if possible.
- Make sure there are no gaps between the air conditioner and the window frame where cooled air can leak out. Rigid foam and weatherization tape are best products to use, instead of foam gaskets.
- Change or clean your air conditioner filter regularly. Vacuum the slot for the filter before putting a new or cleaned filter in.
- If you have a dehumidifier, make sure it is not too large for your home. Close doors and windows to the space that needs to be dehumidified. Use lowest setting possible to achieve comfort and air quality needed.
Sources: all from “Spring/Summer Energy Saving Tips,” NSTAR, http://www.nstar.com/residential/energy_efficiency/spring_summer.asp, except 2 from “Night Purge Ventilation,” Autodesk Sustainability Workshop, http://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/buildings/night-purge-ventilation, and 9 and 10 from “Energy Saver 101 Infographic: Home Cooling,” U. S. DOE, http://energy.gov/articles/energy-saver-101-infographic-home-cooling.