During summer it’s easy to spend a lot on electricity bills. The air conditioners are running at full blast, or the HVAC system has kicked into high gear. That’s why it’s best to know how to save energy in the summer. Here are a few solutions to stop that from happening. Be sure to follow this advice to save money this season.

”My ideal summer day was reading on the porch.” - Harold E. Varmus

Don’t Run Appliances During the Day

How to use your A/C without blowing the energy bill
Air conditioning without breaking the bank. Source: Popular Mechanics

Turn stuff off before leaving the house. Weather or not you have to unplug anything depends on the unit, which we will go over later. Just make sure big appliances like your computer, television, fans, and lights aren’t on during the daytime.

Not only will this save you on electrical costs, but it will prevent several of the appliances from raising the heat in your home. This will prevent a high electric bill in summer months. Alternatively with fans, you can set them to turn counter clockwise and that will actually start to cool your home. Other appliances to watch for include:

Turn-off

  • Air conditioner
  • Lights
  • Water heater (if applicable)
  • Dishwasher
  • Dryer
  • Washer

Unplug

  • Electronics with a “sleep” mode
  • Electronics with an auxiliary power source
  • Appliances with a clock
  • New washers and dryers with lights

Close Off Areas You’re Not Cooling

Be sure to seal off any rooms that aren't being cooled.
Be sure to keep everything shut and sealed off to keep the air in there. Source: HGTV

It makes sense that if you’re cooling just one or a few parts of your home, you’ll want to close the doors, windows, and floor vents of that room or rooms. This will help lower your average summer electric bill. It also just makes the cooling unit more efficient, with less room for the cool air to dissipate. Enjoy the feeling of air conditioning in small spaces, it keeps everything running better.

Preparing Food Without Heat

Try not to use your oven this summer or at the very least, use it sparingly. An oven will certainly use energy, but it will also heat up the interior of your home. Instead, rely on salads and cold cuts. As an added bonus it could cool you down while you eat.

Summer Grilling!

Grilling outdoors will save you from the heat
If you cook  outdoors, you can escape the heat! Source: Epicurious

If you’re done with cold food and salads, try grilling outdoors! It uses energy, sure, but usually that isn’t tied up to your electric bill. And moreover, you can cook anything outside and it won’t heat up your interior (plus you get grill marks). Then relax and enjoy the food, either indoors or outside. This can help result in lower electric bill overall. Alternatively, a slow cooker uses less energy and uses less heat, as well.

Plant Shade

By planting shade around or near your windows, you’re effectively deflecting sunlight that would otherwise enter your home. If you plant enough, you can effectively lower your energy costs by a surmountable percent. Additionally, planting them around (but at least a foot away from) an air conditioner or HVAC unit can increase the efficiency by which they work. In some cases by as much as 10%! It’s handy to know “how to reduce electricity bill” tricks.

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Laundry and Dishes

Even the washing machines have energy saving settings
How to save when washing your dishes and clothes. Source: Begological

Another thing that helps lower your electric and heating bills is simply to use cold water when washing anything. Don’t use heat when washing clothes, don’t use the dry time when washing dishes, and dry as much by hand as possible. This will save a considerable amount on heating and energy costs. This tip is especially helpful when you want to know how to keep electric bills down in an apartment.


Want to know how to make your home the most energy efficient? Want to get a rough estimate on that job? Get some quotes from an expert ASAP!

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