What if you could give yourself a little financial boost every month by cutting down on your electricity bill? It's possible by addressing certain hidden electricity costs around your home. What could be better than avoiding the monthly dread most of us feel when we look at the electricity bill and see how much more energy we've used than we calculated? You can do that by eliminating the hidden costs associated with electricity.
What Are Some Hidden Energy Costs?
Your energy bill can be reduced in many ways. Here are some top suggestions for reducing hidden costs.
Run energy-gobbling appliances at off-peak hours. Electricity generally costs more when it's being consumed at peak hours, such as between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Make a point of washing and drying clothes or running the dishwasher at off-peak hours, when demand is less, so that you are paying less for energy. Some homeowners with well-insulated homes make a practice of running the air conditioner at a colder temperature at night so they don't have to turn it up so high during the day while the house is still holding cool air.
Eliminate energy vampires. All over your house, you may have appliances and devices that are consuming energy while they are supposedly "off," such as DVD players, VCRs, cable and satellite boxes, digital TV converters, video game consoles, standby coffeemakers, and many other appliances, which may continue to draw energy when you think they are off. Plug all these devices into a power strip and turn the strip off when the appliances are not in use.
Choose more efficient appliances. As your appliances age and wear out, be sure you replace them with models that are more efficient and that use less energy, such as those rated by the government's Energy Star program.
When replacing your HVAC system, make sure the new system is sized correctly. Calculate the right size with industry software rather than going by square footage and guesswork. The wrong-size HVAC system will result in greater hidden costs.
For more on the hidden costs of running your HVAC system, contact Air Assurance of Broken Arrow.
With another cooling season looming, it's time to get serious about energy savings by making efficiency-minded changes around your home. These simple tips can help you reduce cooling costs and enjoy a comfortable living environment all summer long.
Tips to Reduce Cooling Costs
Seal leaky ducts. You can prevent the waste of up to 30 percent of the A/C's cool air output due to leakage by having ducts sealed with mastic and wrapped in at least R-6 insulation.
Run exhaust fans. Activities like cooking, bathing and washing dishes add heat and humidity to the indoor air, so run the bathroom or kitchen exhaust fan to vent it outdoors where it can't increase your energy bills.
Switch on the ceiling fans. Operating ceiling fans while the air conditioner is running can increase comfort and allow you to raise the thermostat setting a few degrees, curbing your energy usage.
Shade the windows. Heat gain through the window glass makes the A/C work harder and increases energy consumption. Keep it under control by installing energy-efficient shades, blinds or reflective window film.
Purchase a programmable thermostat. Choose a model that matches your normal weekly schedule and your HVAC equipment brand. Use it to program 10-degree temperature setbacks for a daily eight-hour period, and you can slash energy costs by 15 percent a year.
Stop conditioned air losses. Seal leaks by caulking window frames and replacing any missing or damaged weatherstripping around exterior doors. Plug holes and gaps around the foundation and any shell penetrations with expandable foam spray.
Prevent heat build-up. Replace incandescent lights with energy-efficient bulbs that produce much less heat. Use the microwave or outdoor grill for cooking instead of the oven, and air dry dishes and laundry so you don't create heat that adds to the A/C's workload.
Upgrade an older cooling system. Replacing an inefficient air conditioner can reduce your cooling expenses by as much as 50 percent. To boost those energy savings by up to 15 percent more, choose Energy Star-rated equipment.
To learn more ways to reduce cooling costs in your Broken Arrow home, contact the comfort experts at Air Assurance. We've been helping homeowners since 1985.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “iQoncept/Shutterstock”
If you notice your utility bills going higher than expected this summer, you can rein in those seasonal cooling costs by finding places where you can tighten up your household by sealing up air and energy leaks. Here are a few steps you can take that will save both money and energy.
Seal obvious leaks: Locate spots where air is escaping your home and where warm outdoor air is coming in. Seal gaps, cracks, holes and other openings with latex or silicone caulking, weatherstripping or foam insulation. Put rubber weatherstripping around the edges of doors and windows to block energy loss. Seal around glass panes in doors with silicone caulking. Check for leaks around chimneys, exhaust fans, plumbing pipes, utility lines and the point where your home’s foundation meets the frame.
Add insulation: Insulation resists heat transfer, so it keeps warmth from getting in during the summer. Add more insulation to walls, attic, basement, crawl spaces and unconditioned areas where cooling energy can be lost. Make sure the supply and return ducts in your cooling system are well sealed and properly fitted. Seal duct joints with mastic or metal tape to prevent air loss at these connections. Insulate ductwork to prevent energy loss through the relatively thin metal of the ductwork.
Replace windows: If possible, replace regular windows with Energy Star-certified windows. Get new windows with energy-saving characteristics such as double-paned insulated glass, insulated frames and low-E coatings. If replacement is out of the question, install storm doors, storm windows and window treatments that are designed to reduce heat loss through the windows.
Get a properly-sized air conditioner: Make sure your air conditioner is the right size to provide enough indoor cooling. Your HVAC contractor can perform a load calculation that will tell you exactly how much cooling your home needs and what size cooling system will supply it.
Air Assurance has over 30 years of experience serving HVAC customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow areas. Contact us today for more energy-saving ideas and information on how to tighten up your home and cut your cooling costs throughout the season.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our current promotions and get started today!
