August 12, 2019 5 Tips For Saving on Your Electric Bill This Summer When summertime rolls around, there’s 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 cost–literally. That cost is often manifested in your monthly electricity bill; it’s fairly common for electric bills to go up during warm months, much like it’s 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. Here’s 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. 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 you’re leaving home and know that no one else is going to be home for awhile, you don’t 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 won’t be near-constantly triggered to cool. Say you like your house around 71 degrees when you’re home; turn that up to somewhere in the 78-80 degree range when you’re leaving the house. It won’t talk very long for your home to cool back down to your comfort zone once you do get home, and the amount of energy you save can amount to around 1% of your overall energy cost per degree. Consider Purchasing a Smart Thermostat Piggybacking on the idea of smart manual AC usage, there’s also the option to purchase a smart thermostat. What’s 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 you’re home and higher when you’re 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 that–pretty nifty, right? Plus, most of today’s newer learning/smart thermostats can be connected to popular home automation–think Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Wink. Take Advantage Of Cool Nights It’s easy to fall into the comfortable embrace of air conditioning at night time, especially when you’ve already been chilling in it for a few hours. But if you’re looking to save (and who isn’t?), 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 conditioning 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 as free 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 you’re frugal and smart with your AC usage, it’s still possible that you might be getting an electricity bill that seems unusually high. If you’re in that position, it’s time to contact Appolo! We’ve got decades of experience, and if you suspect that you have an air conditioning issue that is inflating your monthly electricity cost, we’ve almost definitely seen it before–and know exactly how to fix it. Not sure if your AC system has a problem? Here are 4 signs that your central air needs service; if your system checks all these boxes, it’s time to get in touch!
