If you’re looking for ways to stretch your finances, understanding how to reduce your summer electrical bill can be a great way to save money. Many homeowners are unaware of how much they can reduce their electrical bills by practicing a few easy tips.
At Fusion Electric, we understand that reducing electricity bills is important to homeowners across Kansas City. As such, we’ve created this helpful guide to saving money by reducing your summer electrical HVAC load.
Set Your Thermostat to a Sustainable Temperature
When the summer heat rolls in, it can be tempting to blast the air conditioning, but consistently cranking down the temperature can lead to a high summer electrical bill, as well as shorten the service life of your HVAC system. Find the temperature on your thermostat that keeps you just comfortable, without blasting the A/C. The lower the difference between the outside and inside temperature, the less hard your HVAC system will have to work, and the lower your energy bill will be.
Additionally, when you are not at home, set your thermostat to about 10 degrees higher than you would have the house when you’re at home. Yes, you’ll have to wait a bit to have the home cool down again when you return home, but this is a great strategy for energy-efficient A/C use. Additionally, if you use a smart thermometer, you can set the thermostat back down to your desired temperature before you get home, allowing time for the home to cool back down to your preferred setting.
Use Interior and Exterior Window Coverings to Cool the House Down
Using window coverings is an excellent way to significantly reduce the heat gains in your home. According to the US Department of Energy, using medium-colored drapes with white-plastic backings can reduce heat gains in your home by 33%. Additionally, installing exterior shutters or shades can reduce solar heat gain in your home, allowing for passive thermal regulation of your home.
Window awnings can also reduce solar heat gain, according to the US Department of Energy, by up to 65% on south-facing windows and up to 77% on west-facing windows.
Use Ceiling Fans to Reduce Your Summer Electrical Bill
Installing ceiling fans is a simple way to reduce your electricity bill during the summer. Ceiling fans can quite effectively cool down a room and use far less energy than an air conditioning system. The more ceiling fans installed, the more that comfortable wind can circulate throughout your home.
Ceiling fans can also work in conjunction with air conditioning as you may be more willing to keep your thermostat at a higher temperature if you’re also using ceiling fans to keep cool and comfortable during the summer.
Just make sure you turn off fans when you’re not in the room, as the fan cools down the people in the room through wind chill rather than directly cooling the room.
At Fusion Electric, our professional team of expert electricians can provide high-quality, safe, and efficient ceiling fan installations in your home. You may be tempted to install a ceiling fan on your own, but this electrical work requires professional know-how and the skills to cut into your ceiling without causing damage to your ceiling or electrical system.
Keep Hot Air from Leaking into Your Home
If your home has unsealed cracks that allow hot air to leak into your home, you’ll struggle to keep energy costs down as your HVAC system will have to work harder to cool the home. Make sure that all joints and seams in your home, such as around windows and doors, are tightly sealed to prevent hot air from seeping in.
Reduce Your Summer Electrical Bill: Call in the Pros at Fusion Electric
At Fusion Electric, we’re proud to offer high-quality, effective, and safe electrical services to homeowners across the Kansas City area. If you’re looking for ways to save on your summer electrical bill, contact us today and see how we can help!
