Summer-Power-Reduction
Tips For Staying Cooler
There are many summer-power-reduction tips and pieces of advice that can help you reduce your cooling bills and make you more comfortable in your own home over the warmer season.
First, be sure that all crevices and cracks are properly sealed in order to keep cooler air inside and not escape outdoors.
If you haven't done this, most all other preventions you take will be fruitless. Get this done first.
The proper amount of insulation is necessary. Hot air builds especially in attics and it will try to get down into your house. Whatever kind you have, if you have enough, will reduce your cooling costs significantly.
Ventilation in your roof is good for pulling hot air back outdoors from the attic. Your roof can reach a very high temperature on a hot sunny day and the heat will build. You need to give it opportunity to get out.
Ceiling fans can save you up to 25 percent of your cooling bill. If you don't have them installed through-out the house, you should to circulate cool air.
You can create a mini-windchill by having the fans turn in a counter-clockwise effect. This can actually make you feel up to 10 degrees cooler.
And when it cools down a little more than you would like?
Set a programmable thermostat to whatever suits your lifestyle. It's consistent and will save costs up to 5 percent.
Install blinds on the sunnier side of the house. With the sun pouring directly in, this can increase the temperature of your house up to 40 degrees. Very uncomfortable! You will be defeating the purpose of your AC if you have it, thus making the system work up to 3 times harder.
Also remember that outdoor AC's have to work ten times harder if situated in direct sunlight. Sometimes people dont think of this when they place them outdoors. They are only focused on what the unit will do for them indoors.
This is another very important
summer-power-reduction tip to remember.
You could plant bushes around the unit to shade it, but you have to do it in a way that doesn't block the air-flow. Have someone well qualified to check the unit just to make sure it's working properly at least every second year. Air conditioners set in windows should have their filter cleaned once per month.
Set your dishwasher to run at night usually when energy prices are lower, and the heat will have disappeared while you are sleeping. Make it a habit to run it just before you go to bed.
Be watchful of the phantom load, i.e., the electronics all over the house that are running even when it appears they aren't. Use a power strip and then turn the power strip to the off position when these items aren't being used at all.
Change over to CFL light-bulbs. They use 75 percent less energy, burn cooler, and last longer. You can save up to 60 dollars over the life of the light-bulb.
Do your cooking outdoors. This is the best summer-power-reduction tips. It tastes much better and doesn't heat up your house.
Microwaving instead of using a conventional oven uses a lot less heat in the summertime if you have to cook inside. Still, grilling outside is the best overall option.
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