Summer Energy Expenses: Exactly What You Can Do To Reduce Them

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By Pete Demuth


Five years ago, I got laid off. It was the peak of the economic downturn, and many people were in the very same boat. Although being out of work was terrible, one of the biggest shocks that I got appeared in the form of the electrical energy bills that we got during the summer season. I didn't realize just how much a/c cost. Plus, I was home all the time so I had the system running more than when I went to work. We simply didn't have enough cash to handle such enormous expenses for the entire summer. So I developed a plan to lower my household's utility costs while I was out of work. Here are the steps that we took.

Pointer # 1: Don't let the cold air escape. Ensure that your windows are shut securely. This will reduce the quantity of cool air that is lost. Also, make certain that your garage door is closed. In lots of houses, the garage can seem like an oven throughout scorching summer days. This can require the a/c unit to work more than it has to. Carry out an energy audit this spring season to make sure that your windows seal entirely. Likewise, get in the habit of closing up your garage door in order to keep it cool.

Step # 2: I did an audit on the ac system's thermostat. I notice that we had a few lamps incredibly near the thermostat. I wondered if this was causing the thermostat to yield an incorrect reading about how hot the space was. I moved the lamps to another part of the room to make sure that the thermostat was getting an exact temperature level.

Tip # 3: Purchase an affordable programmable thermostat. This will certainly permit you to figure out how cool you really want your home to be and set the thermostat to shut off when it gets to that temperature level. In addition, programmable thermostats let you set a time for when you really want the a/c unit to switch on. For instance, you might set your air conditioning system to start 30 minutes before you return home from work. This is a terrific method to conserve cash given that you will certainly not need to run the unit all the time when individuals are not in the house.

Step # 4: Since I was home for so many months, I had time to work in the garden. I observed that the outdoor compressor unit for our a/c sat in the roaring sun all day. It seemed to me that it might be a great idea to supply some shade for the unit. I grew some shrubs around the outdoor unit to offer it some shade. I had read someplace that this might help the system run much more effectively.

Step # 5: The last step that I took may sound odd. I employed an A/C professional to come out and have a look at the air conditioning system. Although cash was tight, I wanted to make sure that the unit was running efficiently and also that there weren't any leaks or issues with the ducts. I understood that letting an issue like that fester could cost a ton of cash in the long run. The checkup on the cost me hundred dollars and it ensured me that the a/c was running as effectively as possible.




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