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Summer is coming and that means cranking up the air conditioning and quite possible higher energy bills. We would probably all rather be spending extra money on vacation or summer activities, so today I am sharing a quick post on how to make your home more energy efficient this summer which will save you money in the long run. The money you save on energy bills can be put toward a fun summer activity!
Thermostat Control
Having a central HVAC is certainly one of benefits of living in a modern society, but heating and cooling your home is obviously using lots of energy. If you have your thermostat set high, you are certainly going to have higher bills. It’s definitely worth keeping an eye on how often you turn it on and at what temperature. You can aim to use it less or to lower it to just take the chill off the rooms rather than make it feel like a sauna.
It may also be useful to invest in a thermostat that you can control from outside the home. Some of the programmable thermostats can even be operated from an app on your phone. That means you can lower the maintain low energy temperatures throughout the day, then you can set it when you’re not in your home to come on as you get home. Of course insulation is the best way of keeping all the warmth and cool air in your home. You can add it into the walls or roofing, and it’s a great way of adding heat or keeping cool air and keeping it locked in your home properly.
As an extra tip for keeping cool this summer, try cooking outdoors as much as possible. You won’t have to turn up the ac to cool down a hot, stuffy kitchen and you can have fun and make tasty meals at the same time!
Address Your Windows
While old chippy windows make charming decorative accents, old windows themselves can definitely be a source of energy loss and higher energy bills throughout the year. Most people are aware that windows and doors cause a lot of heat loss in the window if they are improperly sealed. Obviously during the winter months if you’re losing all your heat to exposed cracks in the window framing or doors that are letting in the cold from underneath, you’re wasting money. The same can be true for summer when the cooler air is escaping and the hot air is coming in. You may want to think about whether you could replace any of the windows and doors to ensure that you have the best fitted.
Windows should be double and triple glazed and the heavier the door, the better. One that also has less of a gap between the floor is also going to minimize the heat loss. There’s plenty of choices here to upgrade your windows to a higher standard. You can go the extra mile by sealing any window cracks where the window frame may have come away slightly from the wall. Weatherstripping is good for adding around the frame of a window and silicone is good for adding to the cracks. The more cracks or gaps that you seal up the better.
Installing solar window film is a great way to reduce heat and glare during the summer. This will also block harmful uv rays and save money on energy bills.
Harvest Rain Water
Most people’s water bill tends to rise during the summer due to watering the garden, cleaning off the porch and deck, and washing cars on a more regular basis. You can significantly use less water and help the environment by setting up a simple rain barrel to harvest rain water.
BHG
Rain barrels can also be a beautiful addition to your garden with a little creativity. Check out my post for details on setting up a rain barrel and more rain barrel inspiration.
Additional Tips
Having an energy-efficient home is good for the environment, but it’s also great for the wallet. So here are some tips to make your home more energy-efficient.Every little bit of effort can make a big difference in lowering your energy bills this summer. The infographic above illustrates a several more simple changes you can make to lower your energy bills.
Ginger Casa
Here is another great post on how to save money on energy bills this summer.
The more money we can save on energy bills this summer means just a little extra cash for our Beach trip in late July! I can’t wait!
I hope you have found these energy saving tips to be helpful! Thanks for visiting today!
Amber
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