Summer Energy Saving Tips for Your Richmond Home, While Staying Cool
The hot summer days are here at long last! For many this means sunny days at the beach, time spent with the family, and more importantly away from work!
But with the constant sunshine and warmth, the majority of Richmond home owners look to their homes for some degree of respite from the heat. This inevitably leads to a noticeable uptick to the old heating bill, as a range of appliances are utilized in the pursuit of a degree of relief from the heat!
Here are a few easy tips you can employ to save money on your Richmond homes’ heating bill, while staying cool at the same time!
Keep the Cool Air In
Controlling the exchange of heat with the outside world is paramount. The goal here is to keep the cool air in and the warmer summer weather outside. This can be done by installing insulating film over window glass and ensuring weather stripping on windows and doorways are in good condition.
If you’re in an area that cools down substantially at night, you can use that to your advantage. Open windows to allow air flow during the night time and close windows and drapes to trap in the cool air during the day. Use the natural environment to your advantage.
Cut Down on Heat-Producing Appliances
There are plenty of appliances in the home that can raise temperatures more than you would like. To start, you can avoid using your oven, opting for alternate cooking methods such as the stove top, outdoor barbeque, or even the microwave. Switching to energy efficient lightbulb can also contribute to a lower overall temperature in the home, as they radiate less heat.
When you have to use appliances, try to keep it to a minimum. Only run full loads through the washer or dryer, and wait until you’re dishwasher is full before running it. Believe it not, running your dishwasher’s cleaning cycle tends to use less energy, and produce less heat, than washing by hand.
Clean and Maintain Cooling Systems
This one almost goes without saying, but keeping equipment clean and well-maintained means they work better, and more efficiently. Be sure to regularly service your central air conditioning system and keep registers clean. Regular dusting can ensure that air conditioning systems maintain unobstructed airways.
Also, the way your rooms are arranged can have an impact. You want to make sure that couches or other furniture aren’t obstructing those registers. And positioning lamps, TVs and other electronics near thermostats can cause them to take false readings, and run longer than necessary in some cases.
Use Your Appliances Intelligently
Modern thermostats often feature the invaluable ability to make the temperature of your home variable. By setting a timer, you can ensure that your home is cool when you need it to be. The savings can also be huge if you are able to keep the home at a higher temperature. The closer you keep the homes’ temperature to the outdoor levels, the less power you’ll use to keep cool.
Finally, this last one is simple. Turn down the temperature of your hot water tank. You’ll avoid the scalding hot tempers, and save money and power at the same time. Also, try to shower instead of bathing, and keep it short. Having a well ventilated bathroom will allow you to air out the room, without heating up the house as well.
