Enigin - Save Energy this Summer
Summer is officially here! The temperatures are high, and the sun is shining. Can we work to save extra energy this summer?
Here are a few tips to help us all stay cool and lower our energy bills in the summer heat:
• Open up. In the cooler evening and early morning hours, open windows instead of using air conditioning. Open windows, or doors on opposite sides of the house to create cross-ventilation. Use a window fan, blowing toward the outside, to pull cool air in through other windows and to push hot air out.
• Adjust your when you do chores. If it is a hotter day, delay heat-producing tasks, such as dishwashing, baking or laundry, until the cooler evening hours or early morning.
• Seal it. Keep cool air in and hot air out: insulate around window and door frames, use weather stripping on exterior doors or you could have a contractor properly seal gaps where air can travel between the loft space and living space.
• Use fans. Use your cooker fan to remove hot air from your kitchen while cooking. The savings in your cooling costs will far outweigh the electricity use of the fan. Also, use a bathroom extractor to remove heat and moisture generated by showers.
• Lighten up. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Incandescent light bulbs lose 90% of their energy as heat. CFLs operate cooler and cost less to use because more of their energy is used to produce light, and less is lost as heat.
• Shop smart. When buying air conditioners, choose the smallest Energy Star-qualified unit appropriate for the size of room you plan to cool. Oversized models are less effective at reducing humidity, and they cost more to operate.
• Clean and maintain. Fill gaps along the sides of your air conditioner to keep outside air from leaking in. Clean air conditioner filters regularly, and keep the front and back of air conditioners unobstructed.
• Take advantage of warm days. Summer is a great time to make energy-saving home improvements. These improvements can reduce both cooling and heating costs and make a home more comfortable year-round. A Home Performance Audit with a Energy Star contractor can find and fix the causes of high energy bills, uncomfortably hot or cold rooms, moisture problems and more.
So just a few summer tips to make the most of the wonderful weather we are enjoying, save money and energy, all at the same time. You can’t get much better then that!
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