Summer is quickly approaching! However, while the temperature rises, our electric bills can too. June, July and August often bring our highest electric bills of the year.
Simple changes around your house can help you save more this summer. Check out these energy-saving tips for ways to stay cool without raising your bill:
- To help conserve energy and help prevent high bills, NES recommends customers set their thermostats as close to 78 degrees as possible. Even just a few degrees higher than the most comfortable setting is a step in the right direction.
- Keep hot air out and cool air in by using caulk or weather strips to create strong seals on doors, windows and your attic access.
- Use a ceiling fan to regulate the “feels like” temperature in your home instead of adjusting your thermostat. Just remember to turn it off when you leave the room. A ceiling fan should rotate counterclockwise in the summer.
- Keep garage doors closed as much as possible. This will help slow hot air from trickling into your home.
- Before leaving for vacation, take a trip to your water heater and switch it off.
- Opt for line-drying clothes instead of using your dryer, which only adds to the heat and humidity in your home.
- Ensure your outside air conditioning unit is debris-free, and schedule regular maintenance to keep it running efficiently.
- A well-placed tree can reduce cooling costs by 25%. But remember, before you plant a tree, make it power-line friendly by following these guidelines for planting locations:
- Plant leafy shade trees in the south and west
- Plant evergreens in the north
- Keeping curtains and blinds closed on the sunny side of the home can block out some of the heat while opening them on the shady side provides natural lighting without raising the temperature.
- TVs, game consoles and DVRs use power when plugged in, even after they’re switched off. Use power strips or unplug electronics to avoid wasting kilowatts.
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