Summer is in full swing, and trying to keep cool during the warmer months can significantly increase your electric bill. If you are looking for simple and efficient ways to save some money, please consider the following tips:
- Vent it – If you have central air check the vents in your home. Some may be closed. Many believe that closing vents will cut down on energy consumption by preventing the need to cool a room, however that is a myth. Closing vents will increase your energy costs.
- Promote better air flow – Position fans so they move the air in the direction you want it to go. When it is hot, ceiling fans should spin counter-clockwise to push hot air up and out. In the winter, spin the fans clockwise to trap the warm air inside. Many ceiling fans have a switch to alternate directions.
- Ice Ice Baby – Wash in cold water unless otherwise expressly directed on the clothing label. Heating the water in the drum accounts for 90% of the energy your machine uses. When filling the drier leave about 25% of the drier unfilled leaving room for air movement, which creates more efficient drying.
- Dishwashers – The cleaning process requires hot water to get your dishes sparkling clean, however, drying does not. Heated drying helps to prevent water spots but so do rinse agents. The heated dry method in the dishwasher can be disabled and JetDry will prevent spotting.
- Everything else – Stick everything you can on a power strip and turn off the power strip at the end of the day. You can schedule a startup and shut down time on your computer so that the computer automatically powers down and restarts at the end and the beginning of the day.