As summer temperatures rise, so do your energy bills. While it might be easier to turn down the AC or go sit in front of a fan, those aren’t the only ways to keep the heat out and the utility bills down. Here are some of Sandcastle’s tips for keeping your house cooler this summer:

1. Keep blinds/windows closed during the day – When doing this, you can lower the mid-day temperature of your house by up to 20 degrees. Also, if you have light colored blinds, it will reflect the sunlight oppose to darker colored ones that absorb it.

2. Grill more – Rather than using your oven and stovetop that will add heat to your home, use your grill. You can cook most of the same items on a grill that you would on your stovetop and oven.  If you are going to cook inside, make sure you cover pots to minimize humidity, turn your vent on to extract hot air and check your oven by looking through the glass rather than opening it.

3. Change your AC Filters regularly – Remember to change your air filters regularly. This will allow air to flow more easily in order to keep your system operating more efficiently.

4. Thermostat settings – Set your thermostat to 80 (+/- 1-2) degrees when you’re away and to 78 (+/- 1-2) degrees when you’re home. Program your thermostat according to your schedule or consider investing in a learning thermostat, such as the Nest. A learning thermostat learns your behavior and adapts to your daily routine, while saving energy.

5. Ditch the incandescent bulbs – Don’t wait until they burn out.  If you still have incandescent bulbs, get rid of them and start enjoying the savings NOW!  Compact fluorescent bulbs use about 25% as much energy as incandescent bulbs and have the added benefits of putting out significantly less heat and lasting 6-7 times longer.  LED bulbs use about half the energy as CFL’s and can last about 8x longer!  And remember to turn off lights when leaving a room!

6. Stay hydrated – And, last but not least, take care of yourself to make sure you aren’t putting your body at risk! Hydrate frequently, especially when working or playing outdoors.  Wear loose clothing and light colored clothes, and cool off in the water whenever possible.

Categorised in: tips

This post was written by Sandcastle Homes