Summer is in full swing, which means your air conditioner has probably been hard at work almost non-stop since the hot weather settled in. While it’s nice to feel cool, the energy bills you’ve been paying probably aren’t so chill. So if you’re looking for ways to reduce your energy consumption this summer, here are a few tips to help you get started.
Turn on Your Fans
Fans of any kind are an excellent way to get air circulating in your home. Even when your air conditioning is working perfectly, you may still notice a few warm spots in your home. Instead of cranking the AC up and increasing your energy costs significantly, make sure your ceiling fans are turned on and helping circulate that cool air throughout your home. In addition, it may be worth investing in a few box fans to further help push all of that cool air through your home. This strategy is almost the opposite of a strategy to keep warm air concentrated in the room where you spend most of your time. Natural gas is the most heavily used energy source in the U.S., after all. Conserving the amount of energy you use to heat or cool your home can make all the difference in your monthly energy bills. And when it’s as simple as closing a door or turning on a ceiling fan or two, conserving energy with this method is pretty much a no-brainer.
Watch Your Water Usage
When it comes to conserving energy, you might be surprised at just how much energy goes into your washing. Plumbing and water use can be huge drains on your energy if you’re not careful. In fact, almost 10% of U.S. households have leaks in their plumbing that can waste almost 90 gallons of water per day. So when you’re using water for any kind of household activity, be mindful of how much and in what way you’re using it. Not sure how to make your water use more energy-efficient? Here are a few changes you can make:
- Invest in low-flush toilets.
- Only use cold or warm water when doing laundry.
- Shorten your showers and use cooler water.
- Have your plumbing system inspected on a regular basis.
- Let your dishes air dry instead of using the drying cycle in your machine.
Watching your water usage is a lot simpler than you might think. And with a few simple fixes, you can decrease your spending on your energy and water bills.
Invest in a Roof Inspection
Did you know that the right roofing material can result in a nearly 30% decrease in your home’s energy costs? It sounds too good to be true, but your home’s roof is a large part of your home’s energy efficiency or lack thereof. When you invest in taking good care of your roof and regular inspections, you’re investing in the knowledge of minor issues before they start costing you even more money. Roof inspections should happen about once every year or so. If you live in an area that’s more prone to extreme weather, it might be a good idea to get your roof inspected twice annually — once in the fall and once in the spring. This can help you get a better idea of some of the damage your roof has suffered and whether or not it’s affecting your energy consumption.
Conserving energy at home doesn’t have to be a difficult task. These small steps and home maintenance tasks can help you reduce your energy usage more than you know!
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