Last Updated on March 2, 2021 by Forest Master
Whenever you think of energy-saving ideas, it’s usually for the winter. But, the same concepts can be applied to sunny days. In recent years, we have experienced some of our hottest summers. The mission is to then keep yourself and your home cool, the cost of which could get your wallet sweating. With the constant running of fans or A/C, your electricity bills are likely to heat up and you don’t want to get burnt. Read on to find out our top 10 energy saving tips to get you, your wallet and your bills cool for the summer. Speaking of cool, if you’re looking for winter energy tips – check out our blog (after reading this one of course)
1) LED Bulbs are a bright idea – energy saving tips for summer
Even during the summer months, you’ll need to light up the nights. Switching to LED bulbs is simple, affordable and more accessible these days. They’re safer to touch, use a fraction of the energy and produce less heat. About 10-15% of the electricity is used to light bulbs, the rest is wasted heat. LED bulbs to use 75% less energy, last 25 times longer and release less heat – such a bright idea!
2) Check your Air Con
Air conditioning requires regular maintenance to run efficiently throughout the year. Neglecting this can lead to poor performance, poor return and lead to a poorer bank balance. Our energy saving tips for summer include hiring a professional for the more complex stuff, but there are some easy checks you can do. Ensure you clear air vents to prevent dust from building up. Moreover, ensure that they aren’t covered by furniture so airflow can circulate the room. Furthermore, ensure that lamps and TV sets aren’t near the thermostat so it’s reading is accurate and the A/C isn’t wasting energy.
3) Seal & Insulate your home
Sealing & insulating your home seems obvious in the winter – right? Well, it’s just as applicable to energy-saving tips for the summer. Why? Well, you want to keep hot air out and cool air in. Look over your home, find air leaks and consider how well insulated your attic is. If you can, get a professional in to take a look over it all and pinpoint problem areas.
4) Avoid the oven
So, this will either be music to your ears or your worst nightmare. But, a top energy saving tip for the summer is to avoid the oven! Whether that be eating out more, or befriending your microwave. Cooking up a storm in your oven will release yet more heat into your home. Whether it be your microwave, outdoor grill/bbq or eating out – avoiding the oven will help. Using your stove/oven can raise the temperature of your room by 10 degrees – that’s not cool.
5) Hang blinds/curtains to keep out the heat
At its height, between 12 pm – 4 pm, we always recommend closing your blinds/curtains. Keeping them closed keeps out the height of the sun and its heat. If you have any southern or western facing windows, invest in good blinds/curtains. A top summer energy efficiency tip is to leave north-facing windows open enabling natural light without the heat & glare.
6) If you aren’t using it, unplug it
This is the easiest and simplest summer energy efficiency tip if you aren’t using something – unplug it. From your TV to your toaster, they generate heat – even if they’re switched off. To ensure they don’t, simply unplug things you aren’t using. Each one only generates a small amount of heat, but cumulatively they add up. Other ideas include reducing the amount you use bigger appliances, such as dryers and dishwashers, as they give off a lot of heat. As such, it’s best to wait till the night to use them.
7) Keep your vents clear
One of the more simple energy saving tips for summer is to check your air vents, ensure that they aren’t blocked and free of dust. Moreover, ensure that all furniture isn’t blocking the AC or fan systems.
8) Use Fans – Energy saving tips for summer
Whether you’re fortunate enough to have A/C or not, running a fan is a lot cheaper. Moreover, even if you left your fan running 24/7 for a month – it’d only cost £5! Unfortunately, they simply circulate the air around, they don’t produce cool air. Using them alongside your AC works incredibly well! If used with a fan, you can set your AC to 4 degrees higher without compromising comfort.
9) Use more cold water
In the summer, cold showers can help chill your bills. It won’t be an immediate adjustment but a cold shower is good for you and a brisk wake-up call in the morning. If you use less hot water you can turn the temperature of your water heater down. Water heating can account for between 14-25% of your total energy use. Not too shabby, no more sweating over the bills.
10) Raise the temperature on your thermostat – Energy saving tips for summer
Trying to keep your indoor temperature cool can lead to extremely high utility bills. While it may ease your temperature, it will have the opposite effect on your bank. The closer the temperature between the outside and inside, the cooler your bills will be. A top summer energy efficiency tip would be setting your thermostat to around 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Speaking of gauging temperature, our moisture meter can act a temperature measure – check it out here
Finally, we hope you’ve found this article useful if you have, comment below and let us know! Did you learn any energy saving tips for summer? Or is there anything you plan on doing yourself – let us know! Moreover, send us pictures of your equipment in action & check out the rest of our blog. Or, follow our Facebook Community group, Twitter, YouTube channel and like our page
