Tuesday, May 5, 2015

5 Ways To Save Cash On Your Energy Costs This Summer

By Pete Demuth


5 years ago, I got laid off. This was the peak of the recession, and many people were in the same boat. Although being out of work was dreadful, one of the greatest shocks that I got showed up in the form of the electrical energy expenses that we got throughout the summer season. I really did not know how much air conditioning cost. Additionally, I was home all the time so I had the device running more than when I was at work. We just didn't have enough cash to deal with such massive costs for the whole summer. So I developed a strategy to minimize my household's utility costs while I was out of work. Here are the steps that we took.

Tip # 1: We made sure that the cool air continued to be inside the house. Among the first things that I did was to examine the windows and doors to make sure that they were not permitting the cool air to get away. I observed that a lot of our windows needed a little bit of upkeep. So I picked up some weather stripping and made them airtight. It cost me less than $20 and only took a couple of hours to do all the windows in the house. This helped immensely by helping keep the cool air where we wanted it: inside our house.

Tip # 2: See to it there are no pieces of furniture or other things around the thermostat for your central air conditioner. Also, make sure that there are no plugs, power cords, or lamps near the thermostat. Thermostats can pick up on the heat from these items and run much longer than they need to.

Step # 3: We also purchased a programmable thermostat. These are excellent little units that only set you back $30 or $40. I got the entire household in the habit of setting the thermostat to a greater temperature that we were used to. Do not get me wrong; our residence was still cool enough. However I 'd set the thermostat to a level that wasn't too cool. The other terrific thing about a programmable thermostat is that you can set the timer to turn the ac system on or off when you would like. One of the most intelligent things I think I did was to program it to shut off around midnight. The whole family was asleep by then and we actually didn't need the cost of air-conditioning throughout the middle of the night.

Step # 4: Because I was home for several months, I had time to do work in the yard. I observed that the outdoor compressor unit for our air conditioning unit sat in the roaring sun all day. It appeared to me that it might be a good idea to give some shade for the unit. I planted some shrubs around the outdoor system to give it some shade. I had actually read somewhere that this could really help the unit run far more effectively.

Pointer # 5: Do a yearly examination of your air conditioner. Find a trusted and professional A/C technician to examine your system. While central air conditioners are designed to last for a long time, they will not last for life. If your unit is significantly ineffective, it might be costing you a lot of cash in wasted electrical power. These days, there are numerous energy-efficient a/c systems on sale. Look for one that comes with an Energy Star score since these are the most reliable devices. You might likewise think about switching over to a split a/c. These are the most effective systems readily available today.




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