Stay Cool

Follow These Tips to Keep Costs, Indoor Temperatures Down

Summer is around the corner. Now’s the time to make sure your home is ready for the heat. Boosting your home’s energy efficiency saves money, says Andy Kimbro, South Alabama Electric Cooperative vice president of member services.

The home’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, or HVAC, can account for 50% of your monthly power bill. It’s smart to have your HVAC serviced regularly.

“We recommend at least once a year that needs to be serviced. Just like your car,” Kimbro says. “You don’t drive your car forever and never change the oil. You have to make sure that car is running as efficiently as it can, so it can give you the best miles per gallon that it can. It is no different with your HVAC. It needs to be running as efficiently as possible for the age it is and condition it is.”

SAEC offers members living in manufactured homes rebates to upgrade to a more energy-efficient heat pump, which helps during high-demand seasons. The rebate equals $400 per ton on a new unit.

Here are more tips for keeping your electric bill down and boosting your home’s energy efficiency during scorching summer months:

• Keep your thermostat as close to 78 degrees as possible. This can be a challenge where temperatures can remain in the 90s for days. Ceiling fans can help. “Fans aren’t going to make the air colder, but it gives a chilling effect,” Kimbro says. “A fan running in a room can make it feel four or five degrees cooler than it is.”
• Seal cracks around doors and windows. Cool air blowing from your vents can escape through the smallest cracks. Weatherstripping or caulk can fill most gaps. “At the end of the day, make the envelope of a house as tight as you can make it,” Kimbro says.
• Turn off ceiling fans and adjust your thermostat, so your HVAC doesn’t run constantly when you’re away. Maintaining a consistent temperature when no one’s home increases your bill.
• Wash clothes and dishes in cold water and take cooler showers. Your water heater can make up 15%-25% of your monthly bill — second only to the HVAC system. “Those two items right there have a large say in what your power bill is going to look like each month,” Kimbro says.
• Switch to LED bulbs. They are 75% more efficient than incandescent bulbs, are not hot to the touch and do not warm up the indoor air you are trying to cool.
• Use room-darkening shades or curtains on windows facing west or south. Plant trees on those sides of your home to provide shade.
• Make sure ovens and clothes dryers vent to the outdoors.