How to Increase Your Home’s Energy Efficiency During the Summer Months

Summer is brutal on energy bills. Air conditioners run nearly constantly as temperatures soar across the country. By increasing your home’s energy efficiency, you can not only cut the costs associated with cooling your home, but also your comfort level inside your home as well. These are a few great steps to take for a more energy efficient home this summer and beyond.

Don’t Add Heat to Your Home by Using the Oven
Even using the stove top can increase the heat inside your home for several hours – usually during the hottest part of the day. Instead of using the oven and stove for cooking, choose cool meals, like salads and sandwiches, grill your meals on the barbecue, or use alternative appliances for meal making like the microwave or crockpot.

Turn Down the Water Heater
According to the Department of Energy, heating water in your home accounts for anywhere between 14 and 25 percent of the energy you use in your home. Reducing the water heater’s temperature setting to 120 degrees will help you save on your energy bill all summer long.

Keep Your Freezer and Refrigerator Full
Many people deplete freezer stores in the summer and restock later in the summer or in the fall. However, refrigerators and freezers must work harder to maintain a consistent temperature when there is more empty space available.

Try to keep your fridge and freezer full. If you’re not interested in stocking up on frozen pizzas and freezer pops, consider freezing milk jugs filled ¾ full with water. They’re easy to pull out when the time to replace them comes along and have the added advantage of helping keep things cold in your freezer during brief power outages.

Install a Whole House Fan
Whole house fans cost considerably less to operate than air conditioners and provide lasting cooling effects for your home – reducing your need to even turn on the air conditioner for a large part of your day. Maybe even for a large part of your summer.

A whole house fan works by drawing cool air in through open windows and forcing warm air out through attic vents. When the air outside your home begins to heat up, you simply close the windows and turn off the fun. A well-insulated home will remain cool for several hours. If and when things become uncomfortable inside your home, you can turn on the air conditioner for supplemental cooling.

These small steps can deliver big savings on energy bills for you and even bigger savings for the sake of the planet. Try them today to see what an incredible difference they make.