With Covid-19 continuing to ravage communities throughout the world, people working from home, summer camps closed, and social distancing still in effect, more people will be home this summer. More time at home could mean higher utility bills. On top of that, the United States is in the midst of a recession and people are losing jobs left and right and those who are still employed are belt tightening. While it’s never fun to have unnecessarily high utility bills, conservation is more important than ever in current times, and the following tips should help not only with conservation of energy but keeping more of your dollars in your pocket.

 

Ask Your Utility Company for Money. Each year federal, state, and local governments budget millions of dollars for programs to help businesses and residents conserve energy and save money on utility bills. Many of the programs are in the form of incentives that are paid directly to utility companies who pass on the incentives to the customer. Incentives range from receiving free energy saving surge protectors and light bulbs, to receiving thousands of dollars in rebates to cut the cost of attic and home insulation for holder homes by as much as half. So, if you’re looking to cut costs of using air conditioning in the summer and to save on your utility bills in general, start by checking your utility providers’ websites for incentive programs and follow up with a call if the website does not provide information. 

Change Air Filters. According to the United States Department of Energy, replacing a dirty, clogged, air filter with a clean one can lower your air conditioner’s energy consumption by up to 15%. Replacement filters can be purchased at your local hardware store, on Amazon, or at big box stores such as Lowe’s, Home Depot, or Walmart. If you have the manual that came with the unit, it may tell you the filter size that you need. If not, it is easy enough to check yourself. You will want to check for vented appearing filter locations along walls, ceilings, furnaces, and in the air conditioning room itself. Filters will almost always be located somewhere along the return duct’s length (i.e., the portion of the unit that is in the utility room/closet).  

Supplement with Fans. If you have central air conditioning, one of the best ways to save on air conditioning utility costs is to increase the temperature setting on the thermostat and use a fan to cool the room that you are occupying. If you’re using a fan in only one or two rooms at a time, the cost savings of raising the temperature on the thermostat should more than offset the cost of using a fan. According to Vivint Solar, a ceiling fan uses between 10 and 120 watts of electricity, whereas an air condition can use anywhere between 750 and 5,500 watts. 

Raise the Thermostat. We mentioned above that raising the thermostat and supplementing with fans is a good cost cutting measure. But, how much should you raise the thermostat? According to the United States Department of Energy, raising the temperature on your thermostat by 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours per day from its normal setting can save as much as 10% a year on cooling costs. The same applies for heating, except you would lower the temperature by 7-10 degrees. 78 degrees should be a comfortable temperature, and the thermostat can be raised even higher when you are away from the home. 

Use Basements/Lower Levels More. Since heat rises, temperatures on lower levels are typically cooler. So, if you have a basement, then to stay cooler and save on air conditioning costs, hike up the thermostat, grab the fan, and head to lower ground. If you do not have a basement, then hanging out on the lowest level in the house is the next best thing. 

Cook Out or Cook Early. Appliances such as ovens, air fryers, toasters, and dishwashers emit a tremendous amount of heat, all of which ends up trapped in your house. To avoid having to drop the temperature on the thermostat to stay comfortable, you can prepare hot meals early in the day before the temperature gets too hot. In doing so, the temperature of the house can cool before it gets so hot that the added heat is unbearable. Another option is to plan meals that can be cooked outdoors on the grill.  

Close Blinds and Curtains. According to the Department of Energy, about 76% of sunlight that falls on standard double-pane windows enters the home to become heat. They go on to say that window covers such as curtains and blinds will result in energy savings, but the exact savings will depend on the type. So, if you have blinds or curtains, the first step is to use them to block out sunlight whenever possible, especially during times when sunlight falls directly on the window. The next step is to research to determine whether you are using the most efficient window cover. In doing so, you will be well on your way to making your home more comfortable, as well as saving money on energy. 

Wear less. If you’re finding yourself covering up or wearing a jacket when you are sitting still working or watching a movie, this might be a sign that you could stand to increase the temperature on the thermostat a few degrees. As we discussed earlier, the increase in temperature should provide a noticeable decrease in utility usage and costs.

Once you’ve closed the blinds and optimized the temperature setting on the thermostat for maximum savings, the final and probably the easiest thing you can do to save energy is wear less clothing. You do not need to walk around naked. However, you could opt for shorts instead of long pants, or a sleeveless shirt instead of long sleeves. The fabric of clothing makes a difference as well. Lightweight, light color cotton and other natural fibers will be cooler than polyester.