Help to Cut Your Power Bill This Summer
Posted in Random by Dan at 6:18 pm
This post was published 2 years 3 months 13 days ago and its content may not be valid anymore.Here are some neat simple tips to help you cut down on the power bills for the remainder of the summer. It is amazing how a few small changes can help you save big.
- Turn off your AC when you leave: On average it saves you 25 cents an hour
- Set your AC to 78 degrees. 75 degrees costs 18% more, and 72 degrees costs 39% more
- Keep air-conditioner filters clean: Dirty air filters could cost you up to $1 a day
- Fill small holes and cracks: On an average house these nooks and crannies cost $150 per family in heating a cooling costs
- Turn down your electric water heater to the “warm” setting (120° degrees): That can save you 20% from ten degrees higher
- Every time you open the refrigerator door, up to 30% of cold air escapes. Decide what you want before you open those doors and save big
- Position refrigerators away from direct sunlight and heat sources. This will cause the refrigerator to work less to keep cool
- Switching to florescent bulbs from incandescent bulbs can reduce lighting energy use in your home by 50% to 75%
- Turn off your computer monitor when not in use for more than 20 minutes
- Unplug your cell phone and blackberry chargers when they’re not being used
Don’t forget “Use a circulating fan such as a Vornado”. My parents cut $150 off their electric bill this month by having a few Vornado fans around the house and putting the AC to 80. Especially with a 2 story or larger house, the upstairs sections can get extremely hot. Just put a fan to blow the cold air up the stairs,et cetera.
How about this one? Stop using your desktop, if possible. The 300W or so power supply in that thing will suck more than a laptop plugged in will.
@Paul – My upstairs this week has felt like no AC at all. (Older house, full of drafts not helping). I will check out those fans… Thanks!
nice post. its been in the 100’s here in atlanta. Paul knows too!
If you have an attic staircase or an attic fan these are huge leaks. and fireplaces too. Our intake is just under the staircase and attic fan. When the AC is on, it’s pulls HOT air from the attic down into the house. Grrr!
I’ve been meaning to purchase (as i lose $) some covers and draft stoppers. Not the best looking site but offers these products and more.
http://www.batticdoor.com/
Fireplace: One research study showed that an open damper on an unused fireplace in a well-insulated house can raise overall heating-energy consumption by 30 percent.