10 Ways to Save Energy in Summer
Summer often goes hand in hand with rising energy bills. The A/C is turned on more and more and the lights are always on because the blinds are closed to stop heat from coming into the house. There are endless common practices over summer that are contributing to rising energy and electricity bills. However, saving energy in summer doesn’t mean sweltering in the heat when a few small changes can go a long way to brining energy costs down.
10 ways to save energy in summer
1. Conduct a home energy audit
A home energy audit can save hundreds of dollars a year. By conducting a thorough check of your home, you can find ways to reduce energy usage. In the bathroom, consider installing water-saving showerheads or simply cutting down on shower times. In a bedroom if there are fans, heaters, air conditioners and televisions for example, unplug them when they’re not in use. Consider using the fan more than turning on the air conditioner to cool down one room.
2. Switch to solar power
Solar power uses the energy released by the sun and converts it into electricity to power your home. In 2018, solar power system cost 40% less than they did when they were first introduced, meaning that it won’t be long until you are not only saving thousands of dollars a year on electricity but also be exempt from rising energy prices in the future.
90% of the energy used by a washing machine goes towards heating the water. Therefore, doing a load of laundry on the cold or warm cycle will save a large amount of energy. Also, try not to use the dryer, instead, take advantage of the warm weather and hang clothes outside to dry in the sun. You’ll avoid the cost of running the dryer and keep your home cool by not running heat-generating appliances.
3. Use cold or warm wash setting for the washing machine
4. LED lighting
When comparing the energy efficiency of different light bulbs, look for the term’s luminous efficacy or useful lumens. The terms describe the amount of light emitted per unit of power consumed by the light bulb. Generally, LED bulbs will consume very low amounts of power, with their installation resulting in a 60-75% improvement in the energy efficiency of a house’s lighting solutions.
5. Control the sunlight in your home
Heat from the sun can warm up a home to uncomfortable levels that have people reaching for the air con or fan controls. Instead of using up energy, try blocking sunlight heat from the windows. By putting up blinds, the air is trapped at the window and cannot enter the rooms. Any window shading from panel blinds to block out rollers will help trap the air, keeping a home cool without having to use the air conditioner.
6. Maximize airflow to cool the house
Air movement cools people by increasing evaporation in still conditions. It requires well designed openings, like windows, doors and vents and works off the premise of unrestricted breeze paths. If the breeze can move freely through a home and its openings, the movement of the air will work to cool down a house. The idea of airflow works best in narrow or open plan layouts where there are entry and exit points for the breeze.
7. Use houseplants
Plants aren’t just for aesthetics; they can also help naturally cool a house down in the warmer months. Plants can work such wonders because they lose water during the transpiration process (evaporation of water from plant leaves) which cools the air around the plants, leaving it purified. Plants like aloe vera cool the air temperature and remove formaldehyde from the air while the fichus tree keeps cool and reduces air pollution.
8. Implement smart technology to control the electricity use in your home
Using smart technology will help keep costs down through being intuitive and programmed to create custom schedules that eliminate unnecessary energy usage. Installing smart vents in your home helps reduce energy waste by regulating temperature by room instead of having to cool down or warm up a whole house. Smart window blinds can detect sunlight and will open to heat the house up with natural warmth, or they close to avoid too much sun.
9. Clean your air conditioner
Over the years, grime can get caught in the air conditioner filter. If the grime is left in the filter, it takes 15% more energy to power the unit. Cleaning the filter a couple of times every year or even replacing the filter if it is worn out will save you money in the long run. The money saved by keeping the filter in top condition will significantly bring down the power bills over time.
10. Install an energy efficient pool pump
You can save energy and maintain a comfortable swimming temperature by using a smaller, higher efficiency pool pump. The larger the pump, the greater the cost, therefore a smaller size is preferable. Also, pool pumps run much longer than necessary. The pump works to circulate the pool’s water to keep the chemicals mixed and debris at bay. However, longer circulation doesn’t mean better circulation. Try to reduce the filtration time to 6 hours a day to keep the pool clean and save on energy.
Call LINC Electricians to learn more
Keeping energy costs down over the summer doesn’t mean sweltering in the heat. By conducting a home energy audit or switching to solar panels, you can keep cool without breaking the bank. Contact Linc Electricians today for electricians that help guide you with a home energy audit or implementing smart technology and offer great pricing with no surprises and a guarantee to arrive at the scheduled time.
Video game consoles use more energy than you might think. Internet connectivity, live streaming, wireless controllers, voice control, and gesture recognition all make up the fundamentals of a modern gaming console. If you’ve conducted your own home energy audit you’ll know these features hog a lot of electricity and many still draw power even when you’re not using them. Making small changes to your gaming experience can help cut your energy bill and make your household more energy-efficient
