Lower Your Summer Utility Bills

Lowering Your Summer Electric and Gas Bills

• Set your thermostat no lower than 78 degrees (unless your wife is like mine then 74 is the magic number no matter how much money it saves)
• Replace regular incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents lamps (CFLs)
• Keep your shades and curtains closed during the day to shelter your house from the warming effect of the sunlight
• If you don’t want to block your view, think about applying window film to the glass. Like auto window tint, these applied films will reduce radiant heat while allowing you to see through them
• Replace air conditioner filters regularly to ease the air flow. Dirty filters make the unit work harder to force the air through the filter. On this same note, unless you suffer from severe allergies, use the cheaper 30-day air filters. They do the job while making it easier for the air to flow and cost a heck of a lot less
• Air dry dishes instead of using the dishwasher’s drying cycle (good excuse to put-off putting away the dishes)
• Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use or at least before going to bed
• Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120 degrees which is a comfortable temp
• Install low-flow faucets and showerheads. Inexpensive and simple-to-install, low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators can reduce home water consumption and water heating costs by as much as 50%.
• Using a microwave to cook meals uses about half the energy of a conventional oven.
• Washing clothes in cold water instead of hot is another energy saving tip that can save you about $50 per year. Tide makes a great cold water detergent that I will swear by
• Vacuum the coils on the back of your refrigerator every 3 or 4 months. The dirt on the coils make the fridge work harder using more energy

Lowering Your Summer Water Bills

• Again, install low-flow faucets and showerheads to reduce the amount of water used
• Turn off the water while you are brushing your teeth
• Use cold water when cooking so you do not have to run the sink for so long. Besides, it’s actually healthier to use cold water
• If you have a sprinkler system, water the lawn very early in the morning. Watering during the day results in a burned lawn and 35% of the water evaporating before it soaks in. Watering at night causes mildew in your garden and other areas of your lawn. This will not only save you money by requiring less water to keep the lawn green but will also reduce waste
• If your neighbors also use a sprinkler system, reduce the watering time on the sides of your yard to save money and reduce waste
• Wait to wash your clothes until there are more clothes to add to that cycle.
• If you do not have a water dispenser on the refrigerator, keep a jug of water in the fridge to reduce the water that gets wasted while you’re waiting for it to get cold