How Can I Save Money on Energy Bills in the Summer?
When the heat comes back around in Georgia, it’s time to crank up the air conditioning. However, dealing with those increased energy bills can make keeping cool in the summer a challenge. Don’t worry, when the heat and humidity rise around Greene and Putnam County, you can use a few of these tips to keep your energy bills from rising too.
Pay Attention to How You’re Using Electricity
Sometimes increased energy bills have a lot to do with people not paying attention to what’s consuming electricity in the home. For example, if something isn’t in use, don’t just turn it off, unplug it completely. Phone and battery chargers that aren’t charging anything can still waste electricity.
A smart way of doing this is with surge protectors and wall switches. With these, you can just flip a switch and stop the energy drain. When it comes to your air conditioning specifically, you need to make sure it’s not eating more energy than you’re saving by turning things off.
This all also applies to things like lights, fans, and anything else that uses electricity. Turn off the lights when they’re not needed. Fans can help but they’re only good when they’re actively cooling someone. If no one is around, turn the fans off.
Keep Your AC Usage in Check
To keep your air conditioning energy consumption in check, you can upgrade to a smart thermostat that allows you to program when your AC should run, and when it shouldn’t. Even without that, you should get into the practice of turning your AC down or off when no one is home.
Many people develop bad habits when it comes to cooling off. For example, when you come inside, don’t turn the AC up to ridiculously cold temperatures immediately. That’s a huge waste of energy with no real payoff. Keep the temperature reasonable, and find other ways to cool down. While you wait for the cooling air, have a cool drink or take a quick, cold shower.
Use Heat Producing Appliances Less Often and More Efficiently
Many large appliances produce large amounts of heat. Adding all that heat will cause your AC to work harder to eliminate it. It’s not just the increase in cooling costs that can make heat-producing appliances greater electrical expenses.
You can save hundreds of dollars by figuring out ways to use larger appliances more efficiently and less often. For example, consider only using your clothes dryer when you can fill it up. Don’t use it frequently for smaller loads. Even better, try changing things up on a clothesline outside.
Air Conditioning Service You Can Trust
At Oconee Climate Control in Eatonton, GA, we offer high quality, energy efficient HVAC products to help you beat the heat while also keeping your energy bills under control. To learn more about what you can do to save on your summer cooling costs, contact us today.
