As the golden rays of summer beat relentlessly upon your rooftop, your 10 year old, inefficient, on its last leg, air conditioner is endlessly singing the song of its people, to the tune of dipping into what little disposable income you may have left to begin with. Since summer isn’t going any place, any time soon, and a new air handler will run you in the thousands, perhaps the time has come to investigate other measures for reducing your budget squeezing electric bill.
If you happen to have a brood of young ‘uns underfoot, running in and out, making your less than faithful air unit sing all the louder, and not understanding the purpose of a light switches off position, you are more than likely pulling your hair out, one strand at a time. Rest in the assurance of knowing, children understand more than we sometimes think they do. Round ‘em up and sit ‘em down. For heaven’s sake, don’t lecture them or you’ll lose their attention at the first shake of a finger. Make it fun for them by making a game out of saving power. Let them come up with their own ideas, and you can bet turning off light switches will be part of the game rules. Encourage them to take less trips in from the great outdoors by combining whatever it is they need to do with something else. Need to use the bathroom? Need a drink? Need to fill their hollow leg with a snack? Do it at the same time. Hand out gold stars, or offer a special treat at the end of the evening for whichever child put in the most energy saving effort that day. Fun and recognition are key elements.
Now that the kiddos are in control, what else can you do? Make certain all unused electrical appliances are unplugged. They use electricity even when not in use. If you have an extra refrigerator or freezer in your garage, and it only contains a few items, bring those things in the house and unplug it, it can run you, on average, an extra 50 bucks a month. Toasters, toaster ovens, coffee pots, even microwaves, all use power when plugged in, even when just sitting on the counter.
Keep as many shades and blinds closed as possible. They serve to keep heat out, and coolness in. If you don’t wish to block out all the sunlight, at least close up one side of the house where the sun penetrates the most during the day.
Any time of the year, as light bulbs burn out, replace them with LED bulbs. They are a tad bit more expensive than standard filament bulbs, but because of their efficiency, and long life, they can save you up to $100 over their lifetime. They consume 85% less energy to produce the exact same amount of light as a traditional bulb.
Don’t let summer, or any other season for that matter, put a larger dent in your bank account than necessary. Consume energy wisely while cleaning and cooling the air in your home.