The climate is heating up; it’s time to get the grill out, call the pool cleaner and bring those gardening tools out of the basement. It’s spring! But spring also means it’s time to figure out how to save more energy and more money.
Many ways to save
Many people can tolerate the cold better than the heat, which means that as the weather gets warmer, it will become increasingly difficult to combat the urge to turn on the air conditioning and leave it on for hours. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to keep your home cool without increasing your energy bill.
- Go easy on the thermostat:
- Set the temperature as high as possible while you are still comfortable. The lower the difference between the internal and external temperatures, the lower the bill.
- Keep the house warmer than usual when you’re away, cool when you come home. Easily set your “Away” and “Home” temperatures with a programmable thermostat.
- Keep in mind: Your home won’t cool faster if you set the thermostat to a colder temperature than usual. Indeed, this will likely result in unnecessary expense and excessive effort on the cooling system.
- Get the most out of your windows:
- Prevent heat from entering through windows by installing window coverings such as shutters (internal and / or external), awnings, reflective films, curtains, curtains, insulated panels and shutters.
- If you live in an area where it cools at night, turn off the air conditioning and open the windows while you sleep. When you wake up, close the windows and shutters to keep the air cool, unless there is still a cool breeze. You can still get some fresh air indoors early in the morning before the sun starts hitting your house / yard.
- Turn on those ceiling fans:
- By using your ceiling fans in combination with the air conditioning, you can actually set the thermostat to four degrees higher, but remember that fans cool people, not rooms. If you leave a room, turn off the fan.
- Turn on the bathroom fan when taking a shower or bath to remove moisture and heat.
- Lower the water temperature:
- The water heater uses 18 percent of the home’s energy consumption. Lower the temperature to 120 degrees F.
- Minimize the use of the luminaire and artificial lighting:
- Using the oven on hot days will make the house warmer and later more difficult to cool. Attach to the stove, microwave or grill outside.
- Minimize using a computer or TV, operating the dishwasher or using hot devices such as hair dryers.
- Install efficient lighting that doesn’t release much heat.
- Leakage to keep warm air out:
- Seal the cracks to prevent heat from entering the house.
- Add waterproofing or caulking to seal leaking doors and windows.
by Stephan Kazanchian