Summer is almost here, and while many families are welcoming the warmer weather chances are you’re not welcoming the jump in your energy bills. Between paying for extra summer activities, buying extra groceries, and taking on high electricity bills, summer often means you’ll be spending more money than usual.
The good news is that there are several simple ways you can save on your summer bills. Here’s how you can cut back on spending this summer without sacrificing your family’s water balloon fights and ice cream nights.
Insulate your windows
Considering over 50% of houses on the market are over 40 years old, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that 30% of a home’s heating and cooling energy is lost through its windows. To keep your air conditioning from getting sucked out into the summer sun, make sure to insulate your windows. You can do this using window film, which creates a barrier between the interior of your house and your windows. Rope caulk is also another great way to seal any gaps between your windows and their frames.
Get planting
Many homeowners like to add trees and shrubs to their yard to add curb appeal. It doesn’t hurt property value either — well-maintained trees and shrubs can actually boost your home’s value by 14%. You can boost your ROI even more by planting trees and shrubs in the right places.
Depending on the placement of your garden, you can use the height of your plants to keep sunlight away from your windows. This helps to keep the sun from baking the inside of your home so your air conditioner doesn’t need to work overtime.
Leave the lights off
Summer might come with higher energy bills because of your air conditioning. But one of the best things about the summer is the longer daylight hours. By opening up the windows and letting in the light, you can brighten up your home without using so much electricity.
Of course, if your home is in direct sunlight, it might be for the best to keep the curtains closed. As we said in the previous point, too much sunlight can make your home’s interior heat up faster and make your air conditioner work harder than it needs to.
Cook at night (and in bulk)
Cooking not only makes you and your partner sweaty, but it also makes your house hotter, too. One of the best ways to keep your indoor temperature down is by cooking anytime between when the sun is setting and when it’s dark out. Cooking in bulk, too, creates meals that only need to be heated back up in the microwave the next day so you don’t have to worry about doing late-night cooking every day.
Do laundry and dishes at night, too
Cooking isn’t the only thing that can increase your home’s indoor temperature. Running appliances like the dishwasher and dryer can also kick up the temperature by a few degrees. Consider running your appliances in the evening when the sun isn’t as blazing to keep your home cool.
It can be tricky to keep your energy bills down during the summer months. But by using a few simple tricks, you can help to keep your house nice and cool without breaking your budget.
Sam says
I’ve also tried to strategically use air conditioner. We cool the hosue down so we sleep comfortably, but trun it off, and try and retain the cool as long as possible during the day.