The below article was written by Daniel Sharabai of Livable. Livable is a full-service residential & commercial real estate billing partner. Focusing on bulk amenity/utility billing, our mission is to promote savings and conservation through education. Our suite of cloud services and end-to-end solutions helps to reduce monthly consumption, overall expenses and adds more money to your bottom line. To learn more, visit livable.com.
Saving energy can be a year-round exercise. Because we depend on energy for warmth in the winter as much as we depend on it for keeping cool in the summer.
The surge in utility costs and the inflation at a level unseen since the 1980s demands you save energy this summer, so you can have more money to enjoy your summer vacation.
Below you’ll find some simple tips on how you can save energy this inflation-dipped- summer.
1. Use Your Air Conditioner Wisely
If you’re one of the many people with an air conditioner, you might be able to save energy in the summer by maximizing the efficiency of your unit.
To do so, consider the following ideas:
- Turn your air conditioner off at night. Opening windows in the summer costs nothing and saves energy compared to running your air conditioner 24 hours a day. Keep your windows open in the evening and overnight to allow cooler air into your home, and don’t forget to turn off your air conditioner. Close the windows during the day to keep the cool air in and the warm air out. Alternatively, consider running your AC unit on “energy saver” when it is turned on during the day.
- Turn your thermostat up while you’re away from home. The closer your indoor home temperature is to the outdoor temperature, the less energy you’ll use. When you get home and want to cool off with the air conditioner, the U.S. Department of Energy recommends setting your thermostat to 26°C.
2. Make Changes in the Home
There are energy-saving tips for summer that apply to many areas of your home. You’ll find a few examples below that may help your bottom line while still keeping you cool during the warm summer months.
- Consider upgrading the windows in your home. Look for windows with low-E coatings, argon gas fill, and insulated spacers to help trap the cool air inside while keeping the warm air out.
- Another example of how you can save energy in the summer is to cover your windows during the day. Before leaving the house in the morning, make sure you close all of your blinds and curtains to keep the sun’s heat from penetrating your home.
- Use awnings and overhangs to keep the sun out of south-facing windows in the summer, then take down the awnings so the sun can shine in during the winter.
- Did you know that a reflective roof could reduce the roof surface temperature, depending on your climate? A reflective roof may prevent the sun’s heat from transferring into the home or building.
By making these changes to your home, you can lower the overall temperature of your house and may have to use your air conditioner less. With less air conditioner and fan use, you might just enjoy cool savings this summer.
There are other tips to save energy and at the same time save money during this summer apart from the two tips mentioned above.