After a long and brutal winter, it’s hard to believe that summer is right around the corner. The summer season brings outdoor fun, dining, trips to the beach, BBQ’s and sadly, higher utility bills. Summer is when the use of electricity is at its highest. Higher demand drives costs up. Here are some tips from our friends at ConEd that may help lower your monthly electric bill, keep you cooler and save you some money.
Air conditioning know-how
What to do: Save energy and save money by using these tips getting the best performance from your air conditioner.
- Turn off your air conditioner when there’s no one home. If you want to return to a cool interior, buy a timer that can turn on the air conditioner half an hour before you get back. Timers are available at appliance stores, hardware stores, home centers, and elsewhere.
- Keep the air conditioner’s filter clean. Some units have washable filters, others have replaceable filters. Either way, a clean filter helps the air conditioner work efficiently. Clogged filters make the air conditioner work much harder, and it doesn’t cool as effectively. That wastes energy and money.
- If you’re using only the room where your air conditioner is located, shut the doors to that room. It makes the room more comfortable, and it prevents cool air from escaping to unoccupied parts of the house.
- Adjust the air conditioner’s temperature control to keep your interior no cooler than 78 degrees. It’s an efficient setting that’s also comfortable. Moving to a colder temperature consumes more energy and costs more money. For example, going to 75 degrees costs 18% more, and a 72-degree setting costs 39% more!
- If you’re buying a new air conditioner, look for the Energy Star® label. It tells you the unit has been designed with energy savings in mind. Energy Star® air conditioners are much more efficient than ordinary units. They use less power so you spend less money.
- When buying a new air conditioner, choose one that’s the right size for the space it will cool. The salesperson will help you determine which unit is best. Too big wastes energy by providing more cooling than you need. Too small wastes energy because the air conditioner is constantly working to keep up with cooling demand that exceeds its ability.
How it helps: In summer, your air conditioner uses more energy than any other appliance. By using it efficiently, you can really help lower your demand for electricity and since cool air is expensive air, you lower your energy bill too.
Keep the sunshine out
What to do: On sunny days, keep daylight out
How to do it: Close the curtains or draw down the blinds. Add curtains or blinds to glass doors facing a sunny exposure. Apply reflective plastic film to the inside of windows and glass doors. It can screen out about 75% of the sun’s rays. Just cut it to size, and it clings to the glass on its own. And, it’s reusable. How it helps: Full sunlight entering through windows and glass doors raises the indoor temperature. This temperature rise can be considerable. By keeping sunlight out, you make your home cooler so air conditioners don’t need to work as hard to make you comfortable. That lowers electrical usage and helps reduce costs.
Keep hot air out, cool air in
What to do: Keep windows shut, seal drafts around window frames and door frames, and if you own a home, have it well insulated. In 2009, the IECC recommended an R38 for attics located in and around New York City – https://energycode.pnl.gov/EnergyCodeReqs/?state=New%20York
How to do it: Caulk or apply weather-stripping around your windows, for instructions on detecting air leaks go to this website http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/detecting-air-leaks. Close windows during daylight hours to keep the heat out. Most air conditioners let you select a fresh-air setting. Choosing this keeps the air conditioner running efficiently while it draws some outside air to keep interiors fresh.
How it helps: Keeping hot air out and cool air in means your air conditioner won’t have to work as hard to keep you comfortable. You’ll use less electricity and save money. Don’t forget fans.
Don’t forget fans
What to do: Use fans whenever you can to help make your home more comfortable
How to do it:
- Use ceiling fans to keep air circulating once you’ve lowered the room temperature. You can turn off the air conditioner because the airflow helps keep the room cool. When the room warms up again, cool it down with air conditioning once more, then repeat the process. You may be able to reduce your air conditioner operating time by up to 40%.
- Use window fans on summer evenings and overnight when outdoor temperatures go down after sunset. You can draw in the cool night air to keep comfortable. Using a window fan this way takes much less energy than keeping the air conditioning on overnight.
How it helps: Fans use much less electricity than air conditioners. Using fans to help beat the heat will let you reduce your electrical demand and lower your energy costs.
