5 Tips For Saving on Your Electric Bill This Summer
When summertime rolls around, thereโs no feeling that is quite as satisfying as getting inside after some time outside on a scorching hot day and feeling the cool blast of air conditioning right as you walk through the door. The downside? That cool air comes at a costโliterally. That cost is often manifested in your monthly electricity bill; itโs fairly common for electric bills to go up during warm months, much like itโs common for your heating/gas bill to go up in the warm months. Luckily, there are a few ways that you can cut down that electricity bill in the summer without subjecting yourself to sweaty, sticky nights. Hereโs a few pointers on saving on your electricity this Summer.
- Be Smart About Air Conditioning Usage
No one is going to expect you to completely cut out your use of air conditioning in the summer; in fact doing so can be dangerous.ย But, there are ways to practically use your AC in a way that can cut electricity use without turning your home into a sauna. If youโre leaving home and know that no one else is going to be home for awhile, you donโt have to completely shut the AC off- walking into a hot, humid home on a hot day is less than ideal- but you can turn your thermostat up a bit, which means your AC wonโt be near-constantly triggered to cool.
Say you like your house around 71 degrees when youโre home; turn that up to somewhere in the 78-80 degree range when youโre leaving the house. It wonโt talk very long for your home to cool back down to your comfort zone once you do get home, and theย amount of energy you saveย can amount to around 1% of your overall energy costย per degree. - Consider Purchasing a Smart Thermostat
Piggybacking on the idea of smart manual AC usage, thereโs also the option to purchase a smart thermostat. Whatโs different about a smart thermostat? Well, they can be programmed to increase or reduce temperatures at pre-determined times based on your schedule, which means you can automatically adjust the temperature setting to be lower when youโre home and higher when youโre not. That beats having to remember to turn the thermostat up every time you leave the house for awhile.
Learning and Smart thermostats can also interpret the right temperature based on past adjustments and actually learns when your home is usually occupied and makes adjustments based on thatโpretty nifty, right? Plus, most of todayโs newer learning/smart thermostats can be connected to popular home automationโthink Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Wink. - Take Advantage Of Cool Nights
Itโs easy to fall into the comfortable embrace of air conditioning at night time, especially when youโve already been chilling in it for a few hours. But if youโre looking to save (and who isnโt?), keep a close eye on the temperatures outside, especially if you have a home that circulates air effectively. Hot days can sometimes lead to surprisingly cool nights, and popping open the windows and letting a cool breeze flow through your home can allow you to sleep comfortably with the air conditioningย off. It might seem like an obvious solution, but it can be easy to forget! - Find Public Places to Cool Down
Sitting at home all day during a sweltering hot weekend in August sure sounds appealing, but can also ultimately bump up your electricity bill. Remember that places like public libraries, community centers, and public beaches/pools can act asย freeย alternatives to using your own air conditioning; plus it gives you an excuse to get out of the house without subjecting yourself to excessive heat! - Make Sure Your Air Conditioning is Running Properly
Even if youโre frugal and smart with your AC usage, itโs still possible that you might be getting an electricity bill that seems unusually high. If youโre in that position, itโs time toย contact Appolo! Weโve got decades of experience, and if you suspect that you have an air conditioning issue that is inflating your monthly electricity cost, weโve almost definitely seen it beforeโand know exactly how toย fix it. Not sure if your AC system has a problem? Here areย 4 signs that your central air needs service;ย if your system checks all these boxes, itโs time to get in touch!