How to lower your electric bill in the summer?

Summer is all about scorching heat and prickly temperatures.

Photo by Zbynek Burival on Unsplash

With the beginning of this hot season, you might have observed constantly running coolers, fans, and air conditioners in your household. 

A great number of companies provide air conditioning services to aid in comfortable living.

For instance, Air Pro Heating, Air & Electric of Fayetteville, provides home cooling services such as repair, replacement, and maintenance of cooling systems. 

Undeniably, these appliances provide instant solace from boiling temperatures and increase electric bills. Check out the article below to know how you can lower the escalating power bills in your home while retaining comfort.

What causes high electric bills?

A lot of factors contribute to the rising electric costs. One of many reasons that lead to high electric bills is unawareness of the proper management of electric appliances. 

For example, appliances such as refrigerators placed closer to walls, Air conditioners positioned in a place with direct sunlight, and so on can accumulate to heavy usage of energy.

In addition, failure to maintain, clean, and replace electronic appliances can lower the efficient utilization of energy. 

This is because old, rusting, malfunctioning units in the house need more energy compared to the newer ones to function properly. Moreover, the rising power bills result from defective and lower-quality devices.  

Tips to lower electric bill during summer

To reduce the soaring prices of current bills, here are some of the tips you can follow during the summer season.

• Use air conditioners on default modes
  

Contrary to what we believe, using the air conditioners in default mode is a creative way to reduce overconsumption of energy. Modern ACs come with a default temperature mode of 24°C to comply with BEE (Bureau of Energy Efficiency) regulations. 

Using cooling systems in the default mode saves about 10-15% of energy in comparison to lowering their temperatures invariably. Lowering the temperature consumes more energy as compressors tend to consume power. 

Replace any old models, as such appliances gobble up more power making it difficult for other devices in the home to get sufficient energy. The fluctuating power consumption also reduces the lifespan of electronic equipment.  

• Use energy-efficient appliances
  

While using old, degrading, poor quality, and faulty equipment is as bad for the safety of your house, it is just as bad for your pocket. This is because such devices consume more energy than quality products. 

When purchasing electronic devices, check whether they come with an inverter. Inverters balance the incoming frequency of current and thus lead to less consumption of electricity. 

Devices such as refrigerators, air conditioners, etc., have inbuilt inverters that stabilize the consumption of power. 

Moreover, replace regular tube lights and bulbs with CFL (Compact fluorescent lamps) and LED lights. Furthermore, look for any damage or repairs and fix them immediately to avoid energy leakage.

• Ensure proper insulation of your house
  

Another important factor that contributes to energy efficiency is the proper insulation of your house. During the summers, hot air invades the interiors through broken windows or other parts of the house. 

Before turning in the cooling system, ensure that the room to be cooled is sealed properly by closing doors, windows and blinds. A properly insulated room reduces the amount of leakage of cool air. 

In addition, make sure the nearby devices that consume heavy power are switched off before turning on the air conditioner. This is because such appliances generate more heat, making your cooling system’s efforts futile. 

This will lead to longer hours of operation of ACs, thus increasing power consumption.

• Install programmable thermostat
  
  

Many times, electronics are left operating even when the house is empty during day times. You might also probably leave some appliances running to adjust room temperature when you are asleep. 

For example, you need to constantly adjust the switches with traditional thermostats once a favorable temperature is established. 

However, when you replace them with programmable thermostats, you need not worry about the rise or fall in temperatures as these devices are programmable and can be adjusted once and all. 

In addition, you need not worry about scorching temperatures or piling costs with these automated devices. Furthermore, opt for good quality and reliable devices as many dealers sell faulty products.

• Use fan and AC at the same time
  

Another tip to save excess energy consumption is to first switch on the ceiling fan and then switch on the air conditioner system. When you switch on the fan first, it drives out the hot air and humidity that invades the room to be cooled. 

Once the hot air is out, proceed with sealing the room properly and then turning the cooling system on. When you operate fans and ACs at a time, cool air is circulated in less time within the room. 

In addition, the sealed windows and doors make sure the cool air stays for much longer. Once the room is cool enough, you can switch off the conditioner and smartly save energy.

• Practice energy-saving methods
  

You can incorporate several practices into your daily life to save energy and indirectly lower bills. This Includes planting shady trees nearby your house, switching off unused appliances, occasionally ventilating the house, and letting natural, cooling air in. 

Occasionally when the humidity is high, it showers in certain areas. Take advantage of such time and let the cold breeze in. Moreover, make sure no direct sunlight enters the room by placing shades, blinds, or curtains over windows, storm doors, etc. 

Purchase only BEE-rated devices. This will help you maintain efficiency in the long run. Finally, remove the plugs, chargers, etc., when the appliances are not charging or are not in use.

Conclusion

While these are the general tips to save energy and thereby lower electric bills, do ensure to check with your electricity provider in case of extremely high-cost bills. 

Sometimes faulty or malfunctioning electric meters fail to measure the exact cost of energy utilization. This produces inaccurate bills. Most of the time, electricity providers increase the service charges. Ensure to cross-check with utility providers before paying the bills.