If you’re like most Americans, you find that your electricity bill is higher during the summer as you run the air conditioner more frequently to try to stay cool. Add to that the fact that family members are home during the day more than they are during the rest of the year and you’ve got a recipe for high energy bills.
But it doesn’t have to be that way! There are plenty of small things you can do to reduce the energy load of your home so that you’re not spending a great deal of money powering your life. This summer, you could adopt some energy-saving habits that will have you saving money during the hot months and into the rest of the year.
10 Low-Cost Methods of Reducing Your Electricity Bill
Check out these easy, low- or no-cost solutions for shrinking your electric bill and saving money this summer.
- Raise your air conditioning temperature: Sure, it’s nice to take refuge from the heat indoors where there’s air conditioning, but do you need your home to be a refrigerator? Most people are perfectly comfortable at 78 degrees F. If yours is currently at a chilly 72 degrees F, consider inching it up one degree at a time over the next couple of weeks. For every degree your air conditioner is raise above 72 degrees F, you’ll cut your cooling costs by 3 percent.
- Use a fan: If you’ve got a fan in your home, get it out and use it so that your air conditioner can work less. A fan will use about 60 percent less energy and can help you raise the temperature on your air conditioner by as much as 4 degrees F.
- Shade your air conditioner: Keeping your air conditioner cool is key to it functioning efficiently. Using a tree or other obstruction, you could cut its energy consumption by up to 10 percent.
- Use energy-saving cooking habits: No one likes to be in a hot kitchen during the summer. You can save energy by using smart cooking methods, which will also keep your kitchen from becoming an oven. For instance, instead of using a large oven to bake or the stovetop for cooking, try using a toaster oven or a crock pot to prepare the same foods. Both will produce less heat and use less energy.
- Be smart about computer use: With more family members at home during the summer, your computer may be on more than usual and the likelihood of it staying on when idle also increases. Ensure that your computer isn’t using energy unnecessarily by adjusting your computer’s power settings to conserve energy when not in use. This will also help to reduce cooling costs since computers throw out a lot of heat when operating. Better yet, kick people out of the house and get them enjoying the great outdoors energy-free!
- Lower water heater temperature: In the summer, you don’t need really hot water, so now’s a great time to lower the thermostat on your water heater (try keeping it there all year round!). If you lower the temp by just 10 percent, you’ll reduce energy costs by 3-5 percent and slow mineral build-up in the process.
- Take shorter showers: Yes, it’s hot outside and you feel like cooling down in the shower, but this could be costing you in water heating bills. Keep shower times to 5 minutes or less to really keep water heating costs low.
- Unplug the beer fridge: If you’ve got a spare fridge in the garage or basement, unplug it! Refrigerators use up about 15 percent of the average home’s electricity, so this is an easy fix. Keep your kitchen fridge full instead—it’ll work more efficiently that way.
- Air-dry laundry: No need to add heat to your home by drying laundry in an electric dryer. Hang your laundry to dry instead to lower your yearly energy bill by up to $135!
- Lower the shades: Light-colored window blinds can significantly reduce your cooling bill each summer month, especially if you combine this with keeping the windows open for natural ventilation at night.