How to Save Energy this Summer Without Getting Too Hot

We are now at the beginning of the summer season…even before then the temperature has been soaring to sky-high limits! Summer heat has been arriving earlier than ever these past few years, and for some people they’ve already brought out the A/C.

Just because you have it though doesn’t mean you should keep the A/C cranked on high all summer! Believe it or not, doing that can actually waste a lot of energy than you may even realize. If you don’t want to waste energy, but you don’t want to get too hot and uncomfortable, here are some suggestions on how to save energy this summer.

1: Be smart about the thermostat

We’ve written a previous blog post about this before, but this tip bears repeating. Understanding your home’s thermostat will go a long, long way in terms of saving energy without sacrificing your interest in staying cool and comfortable. While it may feel good to blast up the A/C after coming in from a sweltering hot day, it won’t feel as good to see that your energy bills have skyrocketed as a result!

You need to be aware that for every degree you raise your thermostat above its average, you actually can save up to 3% of your cooling expenses. Try setting your thermostat to 25 degrees Celsius (78 degrees Fahrenheit) or as high as your comfort allows, and when you’re not home, set the temperature higher or, if it’s not terribly hot, turn it off altogether.

2: Keep electronics usage to a minimum

Your computer is a valuable asset that contains a ton of information. Some people even work from home with their computer. Summer is a harsh time of year for electronics generally because these valuable resources can and do overheat if you’re not careful. If you place heat-generating devices such as TVs or lamps near you’re A/C’s thermostat, they will also trick it into thinking the room is hotter than it actually is.

Wherever your electronics are placed, they can heat up your home if you’re not too careful, so always make sure they’re turned off when not in use. Ensuring that cool airflow and ventilation is present can also prevent over-heating from occurring too much.

3: Keep that cool air flowing and the heat out!

Ceiling fans and portable fans are all easy ways to cut down on your cooling costs this summer. Ceiling fans are built to cool down entire rooms, and even if you don’t have one, portable fans are inexpensive and readily available. Fans can be very effective at increasing airflow, so if you don’t mind a light breeze, you can lower the temperature on your air conditioning by a couple of degrees.

Be smart about how you keep the heat out too. Hot air can leak through windows with improperly done seals (it’s harder to detect compared to drafts in fall and winter), and direct sunlight in the home can make it feel very uncomfortable very early in the day. Keep all of the curtains and blinds closed in your home until the sun is not directly shining through them, and plan to upgrade your windows to prevent hot air from seeping in and cool air from getting out.

4: Time your use of big appliances right

Large appliances in your home such as the dishwasher, washing machine and dryer, and stove and oven can all generate large amounts of heat. Evenings and very early mornings (i.e. before sunrise) are the ideal times of the day when the temperature outside lowers enough to be tolerable. Reserve any time spent using your home’s bigger appliances to these timeframes instead of heating up your home in the late morning or all afternoon when the sunlight and heat are the most extreme. By waiting until dark, you’ll be sparing your air conditioner from working non-stop, 24/7.

5: Consider investing in LED

Lights in the home such as incandescent or fluorescent are fine if it’s winter, but in summer the extra lighting can warm up a home way too fast! Now that LED lights are more affordable than ever, there’s no reason to sit around in the dark. LEDs are cool to the touch and use way less energy and power to generate light (about a fraction of what’s needed compared to fluorescent and incandescent). Consider upgrading all of the lighting in your home for the summer, even if you only purchase a few bulbs per month.

6: Say hello to your new cooking buddies

Summer is the season of the grill! To prevent using the larger heat-generating appliances such as the stove and oven, start using the barbecue, microwave, and toaster oven more frequently. Barbecues will help keep the heat from coming inside, while microwaves and toaster ovens can help cook easy meals without having to turn on the heat in the larger oven. If you absolutely need to bake something, halve the recipe you’re using so it’ll fit in the toaster oven instead.

7: Get a tune-up on your air conditioning

Ideally you should always get an HVAC technician to tune-up your A/C unit once a year in early spring. Your technician will perform routine maintenance and cleaning, ensure there’s proper fluids to use for cooling, and take other steps to both ensure that your energy usage is not wasted this summer and that your unit won’t break down during the season. Make sure the technician you hired is one you can trust.

Stay cool this summer! If you need more help with cooling options, let us know. At Rep-Air Heating And Cooling we provide our customers with many options that will best suit your needs from heating and cooling to refrigeration. Contact us today for your complimentary quote: 1-778-728-1476 or contact@repairheatingandcooling.com and don’t forget to take a look at our website: https://repairheatingandcooling.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for free giveaways!