How to Lessen Your Electricity Bill This Upcoming Summer
Whenever the breeze gets warmer, homeowners tend to go all out with their electricity usage. After all, summer seems like the perfect time to catch up on movies and TV shows while you’re cooling yourself down with your AC system.
Since home habits can change due to the weather, seasonal changes have become one of the major causes behind rising electricity bills, as we discussed in a previous post on ‘Home Energy Usage’. Fortunately, you can still enjoy these home activities while reducing your electricity bills by following the below tips:
1. Unplug unused devices: Yes, it’s definitely more convenient to keep your devices plugged in. However, most homeowners don’t know that these unused devices will continue to consume electricity until you unplug them.
In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that standby power makes up as much as five to ten percent of your residential energy use. Your household can save a significant portion of your electricity bill, depending on the number of devices used and your personal habits. So if you don’t need to constantly use those gadgets, it’s best to unplug them.
2. Choose power-saving/eco-friendly appliances: You can’t unplug all of your appliances to minimize your electricity usage. Since certain appliances are essential throughout the summer, you should invest in power-saving appliances that have the ENERGY STAR label. Products that have qualified for the ENERGY STAR standards are able to meet the strict criteria for energy efficiency, thus allowing you to minimize your annual energy consumption.
Aside from investing in ENERGY STAR products, you can also use smart appliances that can be automatically programmed. Appliances with a smart system, like air conditioners for example, can shut off during off-peak hours.
3. Explore alternative energy options: Certain appliances have microinverters to reduce your energy consumption, but there are other options as well. Investing in some solar panels to help offload some of your energy consumption could save you more in the long term.
Hoymiles notes that microinverters in solar panels ensure that the direct current power collected from the panels can turn into usable energy for your home. Microinverters also collect data from the panel and reflect the information on cloud platforms, allowing you to constantly monitor your power generation. While costly at first, you end up saving more over the years!
4. Use a programmable thermostat: Air conditioning systems are life savers whenever the summer heat gets too intense. However, making little adjustments to their settings can go a long way in minimizing your home’s electric consumption.
The Department of Environmental Protection in Pennsylvania recommends that you invest in programmable thermostats. These programmable systems customize the cooling of your home based on your needs, including switching off automatically when you don’t need to cool down.
5. Spend more time outdoors: Summer is the best season to reduce your electricity consumption as you can spend more time outdoors. The temptation to use appliances is high when indoors, so maximize your time doing outdoor activities such as exercising or socializing. For example, if you own a treadmill, consider running outside if the weather is nice. Meeting friends in a cafe for a coffee rather than inviting them around will reduce your personal consumption and will even support local businesses.
Now that it’s getting warmer, it’s time to be more vigilant with your home electricity consumption. Through these smart tips, you can maximize your fun while saving on costs this summer season.
