Electricity Saving Tips at Home
August 17, 2013 by staff
Electricity Saving Tips at Home, Immense heat waves this summer can lead to high-cost energy bills. That means it’s prime time to learn new ways to keep your cooling-costs down without drying up your bank account. To make your house energy efficient and keep your budget intact, the editors at The Family Handyman compiled a list of useful energy-saving tips for those hot summer days.
•Replace your old air conditioner: Consider replacing your old AC with an Energy Star model. Paying higher upfront costs makes sense over time and, you could save as much as 30 percent to 50 percent as well as save you enough money to offset the purchase price. Calculate your payback with the AC savings calculator at energystar.gov.
•Switch to Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL): Fluorescent bulbs are known for cutting lighting costs, but they can also help keep your cooling bill down. Ninety percent of the electricity used by an incandescent bulb is converted to heat rather than light.
•Install a programmable thermostat: This is a very easy upgrade that pays itself back in about a year. Increasing the temperature on your thermostat by four to six degrees every time you leave your house can save 5 percent to 20 percent on your energy bill.
Clean or change the AC filters monthly: Dirty air filters slow airflow and make the blower and cooling system work extra hard.
•Fix leaks in AC ducting: In older homes, 10 percent to 40 percent of your cooling dollars can be lost due to cool air being allowed to wastefully run through an attic, crawl space or basement.
•Block out sun with window shades: Around 30 percent of heat comes through your windows, but by installing tinted or low-E window films you can save 7 percent on cooling costs.
•Keep cool with shade: Direct sunlight coming through the roof or windows is responsible for around half of the heat gain in a home, but by shading your house with trees or vines you can save up to 30 percent of your households’ energy consumption, making your yard work pay off in more ways than one.
•Check your AC system’s efficiency: Check for the difference in air temperature at the air supply and return grilles with a thermometer. Make sure the air exiting is 14 to 20 degrees cooler than the air going in.
•Use fans and raise your thermostat: Setting your thermostat to a higher temperature and keeping your ceiling fan on, allows for the air to circulate better keeping you cooler. In fact, every degree above 78 degrees can save you 5 percent to 10 percent on air conditioning costs.
•Tune and clean your AC regularly: Providing your AC with the proper maintenance, such as cleaning the debris from the outside, can prolong the lifespan of your unit for up to 20 years. Also check to see if your refrigerant needs recharging because this can help improve the efficiency of your AC by up to 20 percent.
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