Effective Seasonal Saving Tips

Temperatures are not the only thing that will increase over the summer, utility bills can too! Between having your kids home for summer break and trying to keep your home at a comfortable temperature, keeping your utility bill manageable can be tough. To help you better manage your utility costs this summer, we have put together a list of summer savings tips that can help you keep utility costs down.

Winter Savings Tips:

-Always look for the ENERGY STAR® label, which means the product has met strict government standards for energy efficiency, saving you money.

-Shut the lights off when you leave a room.

-Shut down your computer when you are done using it.

-Use the right size pot on stove burners while cooking (a 6-inch pot on an 8-inch burner wastes over 40% of the burner’s heat.

-Use your microwave instead of the oven when you are reheating small portions and you can reduce your cooking energy by up to 80%.

-Seal air leaks before installing insulation to ensure that you get the best performance from the insulation.

Spring Savings Tips:

-Spring-cleaning involves making sure all the fans in your home are working properly and are dust-free. Regularly wash or replace filters.

-In preparing for the summer, consider investing in some insulated, thermal-backed drapes for your windows to keep heat at bay during hot summer days.

-Does your home have a sliding glass door? Make sure to keep its track clean. A dirty track can ruin the door’s seal and create gaps where heat or cold air can escape.

-When dust and pet hair build up on your refrigerator’s condenser coils, the motor works harder and uses more electricity. As part of your spring-cleaning routine, make sure the coils are cleaned and air can circulate freely.

-Don’t forget to check the seals on your refrigerator door to make sure they are clean and tight. Your refrigerator accounts for up to 11 percent of your household’s total energy use, which can have a major impact on your energy bill.

-A dehumidifier can greatly add to your electric bill. Make sure you have the appropriate sized dehumidifier for your home and if replacing an older model, be sure to look for a dehumidifer that has earned the ENERGY STAR to save the most energy and money.

-Doing some spring cleaning in your basement? Make sure to have a look at your foundation walls. If you have an unfinished basement or crawlspace, check for air leaks by looking for spider webs. If there’s a web, there’s a draft. A large amount of heat is also lost from an un-insulated basement.

-Consider installing a ceiling fan. If you already have one, make sure to change the airflow on your ceiling fan. Make sure you change the direction of airflow on your ceiling fan. In the winter, let the fan push warm air toward the floor and in summer, switch the direction and draw air upward, cooling the room and ensuring constant airflow.

-Schedule a pre-season check up of your central air conditioning cooling system to make sure it is operating at peak efficiency. If you have central air conditioning, keep your thermostat at 78 degrees. You can also save approximately an additional six to seven percent off your cooling costs for each degree above 78. If you are in the market to replace your old central air conditioner, make sure to look for a new energy star certified model, which can reduce your cooling costs by 20 percent.

Summer Savings Tips:

-Close window shades, drapes and blinds during the day.

-Remember to turn the fan off when you leave the room as a ceiling fan cools you- not the room.

-Save electricity and waste heat by shutting off home electronics, such as computers and televisions, when not in use.

-Keep central and room air conditioner units at highest temperature that’s comfortable. A suggested temperature range for summer is between 74ºF - 78ºF.

-Turn your air conditioner off when not at home. Use a timer or programmable thermostat to set it to turn on an hour before coming home.

-Find and seal air leaks that cause drafts and make your cooling system work overtime. When remodeling choose energy star certified windows to replace older models.

-Use a microwave instead of the range/oven. The microwave does not generate as much excess heat.

-Change out your traditional light bulbs to energy star certified compact fluorescent light bulbs which use 75% less energy, produce 75% less heat, and last up to 10 times longer than standard lighting.

-Look for the energy star on products in more than 50 different categories, including cooling equipment, lighting, consumer electronics and appliances.

Fall Savings Tips:

-Check your insulation - especially your attic. By increasing and filling gaps in insulation in older homes you keep your home warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer, and save money all year round.

-If you’re renovating or doing home improvement projects and considering purchasing new appliances, always look for theenergy star label on new appliances. These products are more energy efficient and can help reduce your energy costs.

-If your heating system is more than 10 years old, replacing it with an ENERGY STAR unit could save up to 30% in energy costs per year.

-Schedule a checkup of your heating system. Just as a tune-up for your car can improve your gas mileage, a yearly tune-up of your heating system can improve efficiency and comfort. This is also a good time to change the air filter, which results in better system performance.

-Check the air filter on your heating system regularly and replace if dirty. A dirty filter will make the system work harder  wasting energy.