Skip to main content

Adapting to One Degree Less Air Conditioning

Remember your big air conditioning electric bills last summer? For the average home, raising your thermostat by just 1 degree in the summer can save over $40/year. So even though it is only April, now is a good time to starting thinking about how you can begin to adapt your lifestyle to help reduce your energy bills for this spring and the coming summer. If you increase the thermostat for your air conditioning by just one degree, you can save between 1-3% of your total annual energy bill. So example, if your annual electric bill is $2000 per year, then you can save $40 by making this small change. According to Energy Star, the optimal temperature setting for air conditioning is 78 degrees. If you move it to 79 degrees, you may not even notice the difference. And for the few times that it is uncomfortable for your family, you may find that you can adjust to these periods by just making small changes in your lifestyle. In a typical home, your air conditioning system uses the most electricity of anything in your home: between 16% and 20% of your total electric bill. In warmer parts of the country, your air conditioning bill can even comprise up to two-thirds of the energy bill. So if you are looking for ways to reduce your electricity use (and reduce your home's carbon footprint), then reducing your home's air conditioning needs is a good place to start. To help you adapt to this one-degree change in temperature, here are some tips for you: Close window blinds during the day: Closing your blinds during the hottest times of the day can save you up to $100 on your annual energy bill. You should especially try to close the blinds on your windows on the south and west sides of your home, as these will get the most direct impact from the sun. Use a ceiling or room fan with your AC: If you use a ceiling or room fan in conjunction with your air conditioner, you can decrease your annual cooling costs by around $15. A ceiling fan uses only 75 watts/hr of energy, compared to 3,500 watts/hr for an average central air conditioning system, and 900 watts/hr for a window air conditioner unit. The moving air from a ceiling or room fan can make you feel 3 to 8 degrees cooler. If you have a ceiling fan and it will allow, then in the summer you should run it in the direction that draws air upwards in the room, rather than pushing warm air down (see types, costs, and reviews of: ceiling fans; room fans). Wear clothes made of light-weight fabric: When you are at home on hot days, wear clothes made from light-weight fabric. This will help you adapt to the one-degree rise in temperature. And you might want to adjust your clothes fashions to include more shorts and tee shirts. Use an AC timer for your Window AC unit: Contrary to popular belief, leaving your air conditioner on for the entire day, so that it doesn't have to work harder to cool a hot house when you get home, will actually increase your energy bill. But if your goal is to have your home cool for you when you get home, you can install a programmable thermostat for your central air conditioner, then you can program it to suit your convenience. For a window air conditioner that doesn't already have a self-timer, you can purchase a plug-in digital timer for less than $10. This small investment can pay for itself with what you will be saving on your cooling costs (see types, costs, and reviews of: programmable thermostats; plug-in digital timers). So try this fairly simple and easy tip of increasing your thermostat by one degree, and use the tips above to adapt to this change. You can then enjoy reducing one of the biggest impacts on your home's electric bill.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

5 Reasons to Not Hire a Cheap Home Inspector

Buying a home is a big investment and probably the biggest one you will make in your lifetime. With this home, come expenses before you are handed the keys. One of those expenses is the home inspection. Home inspection costs range from $250 – $700+ depending on the size of the home and ancillary services. You may think this is one area you can cut costs but is that a good idea? Let’s look at five reasons why you don’t want to hire a cheap home inspector.  1. Certification and Experience Are Important    Just like with any profession, there is a certification and credential process for a home inspector. Each state has a listing of those who are licensed and have the experience needed to make sure your home is inspected properly. A great place to look is InterNACHI or American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) to find a licensed home inspector in your area. However, you should not just look for these certifications, you should also look for a highly reviewed comp...
Post a Comment
Read more

Stop Paying for Electricity 'Vampires'

They are lurking in your home, and they attack while you are sleeping, when you leave . . . well basically, they attack all the time. It's the devices which continue to suck power, even when you have their switches turned off. But are these really a big deal when it comes to energy savings? Or are "energy vampires" just an urban myth? Turning off your computer when it is not in use is a great way to save energy. But did you know that even when the computer is switched off, it can still continue to suck electricity from your electrical outlet? This phenomenon of energy still being consumed when appliances or gadgets are turned off is called "vampire power," or sometimes "standby power" or "energy leaks." Does My Home Have Electricity Vampires? There are two simple ways to see whether your appliance is drawing vampire power: If when you switch off the appliance or gadget there is a lit display on, then your gadget is drawing vam...
Post a Comment
Read more

Will My Home Inspection Find Code Violations?

“Code” creates a hazy gray area for home inspectors and their customers. A home inspection identifies defects and dangerous conditions. The knowledge about what makes a condition hazardous is rooted in the building code, but home inspectors are not code enforcers. The gray area creeps in where a code violation and a defect cross paths.  Reuben Saltzman for  Structure Tech  says home inspection association Standards of Practice do not require inspectors to determine compliance. That’s a protective measure. Because inspection and code compliance are different, reporting outside the inspector’s authority puts them and you at risk. What’s the Scope of a Home Inspection? Hiring a home inspector can be a confusing prospect, especially with so much on your plate. Home sales are notoriously complicated. Home inspections shouldn’t be. Your inspector will investigate the house from top to bottom, inside and out. They’ll check the electrical system, plumbing, foundatio...
Post a Comment
Read more