Ways to Save on Your Electric Bill This Summer
July 11, 2018
We all like to save money, and if you’re like most people, you always want to find new ways to cut down on some of your unavoidable costs. Your electricity bill generally is one of your heftier expenses every month, and it begs the question of whether or not there are simple, convenient ways to modify your electricity usage. The reality is that the price of electricity is gradually increasing, so here are some useful tips and methods that could help you save money on your electric bill this summer.
Air Conditioning Isn’t the Only Way to Cool Your Home
We know that it can be hard to believe in Georgia and South Carolina, which have some of the hottest and most humid Southern summers. In an article from USA Today, it stresses the importance of cleaning or changing out filters in your HVAC system as often as every 30 days. If your filters are dirty, it makes the air conditioner work harder because it has to push cool air through somehow, which wastes a large amount of energy. In the summertime, keeping your window blinds closed when you leave and in rooms that aren’t in use keeps your home significantly cooler, so you can turn down your air conditioning a bit.
Slight Modifications in Your Appliance Usage Go a Long Way
You may not realize just how much energy your appliances waste, specifically your washer, dryer and refrigerator. Now, you can wash your clothes, towels, bed sheets, and any garment in cold water with full assurance that it will get clean. Detergents and other softeners today are a lot more advanced in terms of their cleaning capability, plus there will be no accidental shrinkage of any of your clothes. It takes a lot of energy to heat up the water, so why do it if it’s not necessary? After the cycle, laying your pieces out to air dry not only saves you energy by not running the dryer, but it’s also much easier on your clothes. When it comes to your refrigerator, you should always clean it out so it doesn’t get too full of old food, condiments, drinks, and other items. The more groceries you have in there, the more your refrigerator is responsible to keep cool. When your refrigerator is less full, you will be able to turn the temperature up a bit, which will have a surprising impact.
Using Power Strips And Turning off Your Lights
Power strips have to be one of the easiest, most inexpensive ways to cut unnecessary energy use. Things like your television, video game console, DVD player, and other entertainment electronics continually drain power even when you’re not using them. By incorporating a power strip for all of those devices, you can easily switch them all off in less than a second when they’re not in use, which will undoubtedly reduce your energy costs. Lastly, and this is one that you know is always good idea to remember, is turning off your lights before you leave for the day. Why light up your house when you’re not there? There are also installations like motion sensor light switches and similar concepts that are timed to automatically turn off. That could be very helpful in the event you’re in a rush; we all can forget from time to time.
Call Us Today With Any Issues
The team at Duggan's One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning® wants their customers to be the most informed on ways to improve the air and temperature in their home. We also always want to help you save money! If any issue with your heating or air arises, we service the area of Augusta, Georgia, and several surrounding cities in South Carolina. Schedule an appointment with us by calling (706) 914-1617, or schedule an appointment online.