It’s tough keeping energy costs down in the workplace during hot summer weather.  How about staying cool at home? Here are some suggestions to keep you from burning up without burning your money!

Turn down the heat:

• Cook with a microwave or toaster oven.

• Close blinds, curtains or window coverings to reduce solar heat gain.

• Open windows on cool nights. Keep them closed during the day.

• Dry clothes on a line or rack.

• Insulate walls and roof to keep the cool air in and the hot air out. (Vice versa for winter!)

• Plant shade trees. Trees that shed leaves in the fall won’t block the sun when you want it in winter.

Turn down the air conditioning:

• Use an automatic timer or programmable thermostat. Turn air conditioning off when you leave. It can still turn on before you return to a cool home.
• Keep heat-generating devices away from thermostats so they don’t detect a false “high temperature”.
• Service air conditioners annually. Make sure filters are cleaned regularly.
• Set thermostats to a higher temperature so it doesn’t work so hard. If you need long sleeves when the A/C is on, it is too cold!
• Shut the vents in rooms you’re not using, to focus cool air to the areas you are using.

How do you know if you’re getting savings?  Check your utility bill of course!

Are your KWhrs higher or lower than last month? How about compared to the same month last year? Dig up your bills from last year to compare.

Air conditioning use is impacted by outside temperature, number of hours of sunshine, number of people (and pets!) in the house, and the appliances you use. But all other things being equal, your bill will be lower by following these tips.