Summer Energy Saving Tips
No Sweat Ways to Save, Even When It’s Steamy
The first half of the summer brought some serious heat. Likely, your central air conditioning system got a workout. And with electricity prices spiking these days, likely your July bill was a whopper. The good news is that keeping cool and saving energy don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
Use these savvy tips to improve your energy efficiency—without breaking a sweat!
Change the Temperature
Keep your thermostat set at 78 degrees. The smaller the difference between your indoor and outdoor temperature, the lower your cooling bill will be. That temperature may seem high, but keep in mind that the humidity plays a big part in how uncomfortable you feel.
You should also lower the temperature of your water heater. The typical default setting for water heaters is 140°F, which increases energy consumption—and the risk of burns. Setting your water heater to 120°F is hot enough to meet most household needs, and can trim water-heating costs by about 10%!
Join the Fan Club
Use ceiling fans to keep cool air down where the people are hanging out. In combination with your AC a ceiling fan will keep you cooler while saving energy. Fans are also great for keeping you cool when the temperature isn’t so hot–so you can postpone running your central air conditioner.
Use Sun Block
Close drapes and blinds during the day—particularly if you aren’t at home anyway. The sun will heat up rooms and make your AC work harder.
Wash Less Often
Only do full loads of laundry. Use cold water to wash clothes unless there is a specific hygienic need, and hang clothes to dry outside if possible. They will smell amazing!
When you run the dishwasher, again, make sure it’s a full load. Also, use the “air dry” setting rather than “heated dry.” Not only does it generate heat, but it can add to the humidity in your home.
Cook-off
Avoid using the oven—it uses lots of energy, but it also generates heat. Summer is a great time to grill and a propane grill makes grilling as easy as cooking indoors.
Get Smart
Installing a smart thermostat will help you better control your cooling costs because you can use it to check and adjust your home’s HVAC system from your phone. Create schedules for your cooling system that matches your day—or adjust temps in your home remotely, so you aren’t spending money and using energy to cool spaces that no one is using.
Smart power strips are another “smart” device that can help you reduce your energy use. They cut off power to devices that go into standby mode—think TVs and unused charging devices, among other things—potentially saving you a significant amount of money.
Don’t Forget a Tune-up
A professional tune-up from Bolkema ensures your system will operate at peak efficiency—which goes a long way to keeping energy costs down, too. A tune-up will also catch and correct small problems like a blocked drain line that can lead to bigger, more expensive problems. Have a service plan with us? Your tune-up is included!
How Can We Help?
Ready for a new AC? Need a repair? Find out why so many of your neighbors across northern New Jersey and lower New York State trust us for heating and air conditioning services and so much more. Contact us today.