Tips on Cutting Energy Costs and how to Beat the Heat this Summer!

Is there something you can do to lessen the impact of rising costs on your wallet?

YES!  Curbing energy consumption in homes and businesses alike starts with a back-to-the-basics approach.  For example ~

1. DON’T FORGET TO USE THE FAN!
Many people think that if they have air conditioning they don’t need fans, and a surprising number of households simply don’t have fans at all.  Fans not only use less energy than air conditioners, but when ceiling fans are combined with air conditioning, they enable you to raise the thermostat on air conditioners and cut those AC costs. Fan Do’s and Don’ts worth noting -1) Don’t forget to turn the fans off when the room is unoccupied! and 2) Purchase ENERGY STAR certified fans!
2. OPEN THE WINDOWS WHEN YOU CAN!
Have you ever had the experience of taking an evening stroll on a cooling Summer’s night and hearing your neighbour’s air conditioner working overtime?  Pay attention to maximizing cooling cross-ventilation by opening those windows during non-peak heat hours, and turning that wallet draining AC system off!A common mistake that many homeowners of newer homes with French doors and similar out swing or in swing window and door designs make is in thinking that their home’s windows and doors just can’t be screened.  Keeping bugs out then becomes a reason to keep the expensive AC on.  Actually, all of a home’s windows and doors can stay open if one uses either manual or motorized retractable screens. Call us for  optimizing natural cross-ventilation with non-traditional and low-cost screen systems - call 469-287-1256!

3. TURN OFF THE AIR! “Is it more efficient to keep your house at 23C (74F) in the Summer, or constantly raise the temperature to 24C (76F) or 25C (78F) when you’re not at home and then kick on the AC when you return?“  Most definately, the answer is turn off that AC when you are not home.

4. BETTER YET –GET PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTATS!
Ever run out the door rushing to work and forgetting to turn off the air conditioning system?  Given the pace of modern life, this is more likely than not, and if you make a habit of it, you are spending money on cooling energy that you don’t need to. Programmable thermostats — and using them! — can spare you this expense, AND keep your home at a more comfortable even temperature.Better yet, an innovative Summer energy-minded home improvement that is becoming more popular is the use of motorized solar screens installed on the outside of the house, that either are activated with a sun sensor or a timer to roll down at peak sun hours to keep heat from entering the house.  You can even tie these systems in with the programmable thermostats used for your air conditioner to truly optimize Summer energy controls.
5. BARBECUE!
BBQ is not only about enhancing Summer cuisine — operating one in the great outdoors does NOT heat up your home saving you AC costs.
6. SUMMERIZE YOUR FIREPLACE!
For starts, make sure that the pilot light is off on your gas fireplace during Summer months or ANY time when it is not being used regularly.Make sure you use a Fireplace Plug or Draftstopper of some kind.  Studies have proven that homes with fireplaces use 30% more energy than homes without fireplaces.  The Fireplace Plug or Draftstopper is designed to reduce energy loss up the chimney from home heating or cooling when the fireplace is not in use.
7. BE LAUNDRY SMART!
Switch to cold water when doing laundry because 85 – 90% of the energy used to wash your clothes is otherwise used to heat the water.  Always wash full loads.  If you are a choosing a washer, always select a front loading model that will save water AND energy — as much as 50% savings in energy and 40% savings in water.Then, hang towels and other laundry on a clothesline when possible.  If you must use the dryer, do all the laundry on the same day such that you will not have to re-heat the dryer for each load, but instead save energy because the dryer will already be hot for consecutive loads.
8. SEEK LOW COST ENERGY IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE BATHROOM
If you install water saving showerheads in each bathroom, you can cut water consumption by up to 70%, which also saves on the heat energy needed to heat water for bathing.  Dehumidistats connected to the bathroom fans not only control moisture, and also cut energy costs because dry air heats more easily than moist air.

When should you attend to Summer energy efficiency?  YESTERDAY!
Mirage retractable screen installed on home’s front entrance