With the summer solstice, summer has officially started. The summer solstice brings the longest period of daytime and the shortest period of nighttime. The hours of darkness and the need for lighting start increasing, and cooling costs also start increasing as the hottest months arrive.
Follow these tips to save energy and money during the sultry summer season.
- Dress in loose, lightweight clothing.
- Close shades and drapes during the day, especially sunny days, to help keep out solar heat.
- Keep your garage door down. A warmer garage in the winter and a cooler garage in the summer will save energy.
- Turn off any non-essential lights and devices.
- If your health or age permits, set your thermostat to 78 degrees Fahrenheit (and even higher when you are away from home).
- Use fans to help keep you cool.
- Turn off fans, especially ceiling fans, when leaving a room for more than a few minutes. Fans cool people and pets, not rooms.
- Run ceiling paddle fans on medium, blowing down, in summer and paddle fans on low, blowing up, in winter.
- Change HVAC filters monthly. Remove and clean window air condintioner filter monthly.
- Keep "fresh-air" vents on window air conditioner units closed.
- Operate washers, dryers, dishwashers (fully loaded), stoves, and other major appliances in early morning or late evening.
- Minimize the number of times you open your refrigerator and freezer.
- Ensure rerigerator and freezer door seals are tight.
- Cook with an outdoor grill or a microwave oven to reduce heat in your kitchen.
- Ensure windows and doors are properly weather-stripped.
- Caulk around plumbing penetrations that come through walls or floors beneath bathroom and kitchen sinks.
- Caulk along baseboards with a clear sealant.
- Caulk around storm windows and basement windows.
- Ensure the attic access door closes tightly.
- Insulate the attic access door.
- Verify all outdoor doors (including storm doors) close and seal tightly.
- Close fireplace dampers when not burning a fire.
- Run pool pumps at night.
- Postpone charging any electric vehicles until late evening or overnight.
Some of these tips are from the Touchstone Energy® brochure 101 Easy Ways to Save Energy and Money.
Photos by Valley Rural Electric Cooperative