During summer months you are likely to see a rise in your electric bill. There are ways to cut down on your electric bill and still stay cool. Just because you notice an increase in your electric bill, doesn't mean you have to get a new, high-efficiency system. That may be in your future, but in the mean time, there are steps you can take to lower that monthly bill.
The first way to lower your bill is by installing a programmable thermostat. With a programmable thermostat you can set it to come on at certain times during the day. So when you are home it can kick on, allowing you to stay nice and cool. While you are away it will go off so you don't waste your money.
Another way to save some money is to only use ceiling fans when you are actually under them. Ceiling fans are more efficient than constantly having your air run. But leaving them on all the time won't help lower the bills but a ceiling fan helps air to circulate, not lower the temperature, so it helps keep you cool only when you are right under it. Otherwise you waste money having it on.
Installing air conditioners in the warmest rooms of your home can help cut back on costs as well. This is especially true when it comes to older homes. If you have a room in your home that you spend a lot of time in like a bedroom, that doesn't cool as well, you may want to consider a window or floor unit for that room. This way you won't have to turn the thermostat down and have every other room freezing just to cool off one room.
Keeping your air conditioner maintained is also key. It is important to change the unit's filter and keep checking it. If you do not change the filter, it will get dirty and the unit will have to work extra hard to pull air into the system which will just cost you more money.
Keep your house cool during the summer by closing the blinds or drapes on the windows. When you leave the drapes or blinds open, it radiates heat and will make the rooms in your home even warmer. Another way to keep your house cool, is to try to plan no-cook meals or use smaller appliances...this way you don't have to heat up the whole kitchen.
Last but not least, think about your dryer. Believe it or not, your dryer is one of the biggest energy suckers in your home. It takes a lot of electricity or gas to dry your clothes. Plus heat can escape from your dryer and heat your home. So use the sun and summer heat, in this case, to your advantage. Hang your clothes outside on a clothesline to keep your house cool and get your clothes dry!
Let Sutherlands help you with any of these products and save money during the summer!
