Tips for Putting Together Your Summer Energy Savings Plan
The invention of air conditioning made life immensely more comfortable for all of us. It is very pleasant to be able to come home to a cool house on a hot summer day. We pay for that comfort, however, in the form of higher energy consumption and increased utility bills. A house’s A/C unit utilizes 15 to 25 percent of the total energy the house uses monthly. To begin to put together a homeowner’s Summer Energy Savings plan, the first item to address is efficient use of your air conditioning system. Most people can be comfortable with a thermostat setting of 78°F to 80°F, so set your temperature up some. You will save seven to ten percent on cooling costs for each degree you set it above 78°F. If you have ceiling fans, run them along with your A/C and your will feel four to five degrees cooler. Just be sure to turn the fan off when you leave the room, as the fan cools you and not the room. Set the thermostat up several degrees when you will be away from home for several hours. Better yet, invest in and install a programmable thermostat. Close air vents in rooms
