It’s not hard to find articles on line for saving money on your energy bills. A brief search in a browser will bring back hundreds of results, but one thing that most share, is that they look at how to save in winter.
Well what about those that live in hotter climates that don’t really need to worry about saving in winter? What about those that don’t have huge heating bills but rather need to cut down on their energy spending in the summer? Air Con can be every bit as expensive as heating, if not more so and it’s about time there was more information about summer saving. So on that note, here are a variety of different ways you can look to drastically reduce your summer electricity bills.
Managing your Air Conditioning
Much like people in colder climates fear putting the heating on in winter at the thought of massive energy bills, the same threat exists for those in hotter climates when using Air Con. In fact, your Air Con can be your single most electrical expense in summer, which often encourages people to turn it off and suffer the heat. There are ways you can drastically reduce the cost of your Air Con though without turning it off completely and having to endure uncomfortable living.
Some good steps for reducing your Air Con spending are:
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Clean the coil and replace filters regularly. The filters are an important part of the process as the system works on the principle of removing heat from air. To do so it needs a clear flow of air in order to run effectively. Clogged filters and a filthy coil make the unit have to work harder, which in turn is more expensive.
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Employ other cooling methods, such as keeping blinds or curtains closed during the day while you are out at work. Taking cold showers, using thin sheets and keeping windows open at night (where possible) can also reduce the need and demand on your Air Con. Any methods you can use to cool for free will drastically reduce your spend on cooling and conditioning systems.
If you’re going to cook, do it outside
There is no point doing your hardest to keep that lovely expensive cool air in your house if you’re going to go and cook a pie, or a soup or a cake. Using heat in the kitchen will radiate through the house and warm that valuable cool air. So eat cold, fresh food or if you must cook, do it outside on the barbie. Just remember to close the house up behind you or you’ll let the heat in.
Cooking outside on the Barbie also reduces the energy cost of using the cooker and any other appliance you would utilise to cook a hot meal.
Invest in a programmable thermostat
With a programmable thermosatat you can set your cooling system so that it eases off when you are not home, allowing your house temp to raise when no one is there, taking the pressure off the system, then bring the temperature back down for when you arrive home. This can again cut the cost of cooling, when compared to keeping the house at a constant cool temperature.
Insulate and fix the leaks.
Yes that’s right, if you want to keep your house cool and manage your Air Con efficiently, then insulate and fix any holes and cracks. Much as heat will escape through walls, windows and ceilings in cooler climates during winter, the same will happen with cooler air if given a chance. Temperature will always try to regulate and the only way to keep cool and warm apart is to have an impenetrable divider. So look to insulate your ceilings and walls, to fill any cracks, seal unused vents. Doing so removes opportunity for cold air to escape and will reduce the costs you incur trying to cool your house.
So there you have it. As you would imagine, most of the money saving tips come from how you manage the process of cooling you and your house. But if you take care of your air con and manage your temperature effectively you really can slash that summer electricity bill.
