Reduce your electricity bill with these 5 easy changes
As the world is in the midst of an ongoing energy crisis, people are looking for ways to reduce electricity consumption. Here are five instant changes you can make to reduce your electricity bill.
Lifestyle
While you’re on vacation, you may be tempted to switch off your home air conditioning to save some money on electricity. But is it the best way to lower your monthly electricity bill?
With temperatures climbing this season, what’s the best way to keep your home cool and your wallet full?
Should I turn my AC off when I’m not home?
If you’re hoping to shrink your bill, you can bump up the thermostat a couple of degrees when you’re not home, but you shouldn’t turn it off completely. By shutting it off completely, your AC unit actually has to work harder to cool off your home once you return.
If you work a full-time job and you are away from home, it does not need to be maintained at the perfect temperature you like it the whole time you’re gone.
“You’re away from your apartment, eight to 12 hours per day, when you leave that apartment, you can turn that back a little bit, because if you don’t have pets, I don’t need to maintain that apartment at that perfectly condition 72 degrees,” said Indiana-based HVAC expert Jerry Alderman. “In the cooling season, turn it up to 75, or 77, that can save you up to 20% on your electric bill alone.”
What temperature should I set my thermostat to?
The experts at Georgia Power recommend keeping your thermostat set to 78 degrees in the summer. The Department of Energy recommends keeping a home warmer than normal when away to avoid unnecessary air conditioning use. It’s also worth making sure that your thermostat’s fan is set to “Auto” — not “On.” Otherwise, it will just continuously blow cool air, even when it doesn’t need to.
Does cracking the garage door help with heat?
Similar to cracking the window, you may be tempted to crack open your garage. Whether or not this is a good idea is up for debate. As described in Angi (formerly known as Angie’s List), with the additional ventilation, some fresh air can be let in, slightly cooling the space and making it less stifling. D Bar Garage Doors said it can also dissipate some of the heat that’s built up throughout the day.
However, experts on Homes & Gardens pointed out some negatives to doing this, including potential security risks, animals getting in, and potentially damaging your door if it’s old. Plus, one HVAC specialist they interviewed said, at the end of the day, it’s not an effective way to significantly cool your house.
Tips for staying cool while keeping electric bills down
Here are some things you can do to keep your space cooler that may be more effective long and short term:
- Wear light-colored and light-weight clothing.
- Drink plenty of ice-cold water.
- Close curtains and blinds to keep direct sunlight out. Black out curtains will help with this even more.
- Run fans, making sure any overhead fans are spinning counter-clockwise.
- Change your A/C filters and keep vents clear.
- Close doors and vents of rooms you’re not using. But don’t close off any rooms that connect to rooms you do use, otherwise you’ll block airflow through the area.
Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for Gannett/USA Today. Find him on Instagram @miguelegoas and email at mlegoas@gannett.com.
