Keep the Electric Bill Low While Battling Summer Heat
These tips come from my personal experience. I have been able to have monthly electric bills ranging from @$15-75 this summer. Please keep in mind that I use 13 Watt fluorescent bulbs all the time, but aside from that, I generally don’t use lights except in the rooms that me and my cat are in, in addition to one security light that is generally on all the time along with those plug in the wall security lights so I don’t trip on something going to the bathroom at night. So for the most part, I am using 3- 13 watt bulbs all the time, and additionally have a refrigerator, washer-dryer, computer, water heater, one radio or television, and 3 ceiling fans on low-medium going continuously. Sometimes, I run a Cyclone room fan too.
1. Get out of the house and let someone else pay to cool you during the peak hot hours.
In most communities, there are cooling centers, senior centers, the local library, or the local Starbucks/watering hole. Take some time to take in a movie. Go window shopping at the local indoor mall. There are free or paid options to get somewhere cool in just about every community. But because I have a pet, I do have to always keep a cool room, so when I am not in the house, I close the door and restrict my cat to the cool area where there is a fan and air conditioning can be felt, which also has a window that she can perch on and look out from while staying cool.
2. Dim the lights while sitting in the house and rely on natural light if you can, but without opening up your curtains.
This suggestion will really depend on you. Some folks need more light than others. But a lot of this also has to do with what kind of window shades and coverings that you use. If you use light colored window coverings that allow light in, while allowing for some privacy, you can get the benefit of sunlight sufficient enough to do general tasks, which in turn can reduce the need for lighting that you pay for in your electric bill. But by not opening up the window covering, while still receiving light, you get the benefit of the light without creating a situation where additional heat is coming into your space thru the open window coverings.
3. Ceiling fans used alone and in conjunction with central air units/ air conditioners.
Even if you have central air, ceiling fans are good because they can spread the cool air around more evenly. And if the cool air is spread around more evenly, you can set the air conditioner to a temperature like 77 degrees, versus a temperature like 70 degrees, and that saves you money. Typically, I run the air conditioning @ 4-6 hours per day, while the ceiling fan and Cyclone fan is going, which spread the air within the rooms so that when I turn off the central air, things remain cool until the next day @ midday when the temperature crosses 85 degrees. Also, because the air unit is not working as hard or as often, it is easier for the unit to cool and it is cheaper to run the unit, which lasts for a long time. But if you have natural shade around your house and don’t burn a lot of lights, you might be able to turn off the air conditioner in the evening and mornings and just rely on the ceiling fans to keep you cool since the cool air from the air conditioner running during the day will usually linger in a room in which the cool air is evenly distributed.
When the temperature gets up over 90 degrees, I find ceiling fans alone don’t really work as a source of cooling unless you have a ceiling fan for every 10 feet of wall space and a source to cool at least a few hours per day. So in extreme heat using the ceiling fan method in conjunction with an air conditioner or central air unit is more effective. There are times when no matter how great the ceiling fan, it is not going to be enough. But what you can do is use a strategy where the ceiling fan can maximize the number of hours that you feel the effects of running a cooling unit, be that a central air unit or window air conditioner unit.
4. Air dry your clothes and the dishes.
Where you cannot air dry clothes, run the dishwasher and the washer and dryer when it is coolest during the day, so as to not add heat to your home. And when you run the washer and dryer, or even the dishwasher, leaving the door to the room where they are located allows the heat to disperse, rather than building up all in one location. I have taken things a step further and air dry my clothes most all of the time. I put a portable clothes line in the laundry room. But I do find things like towels and linens just don’t air dry all that well. But most cotton clothes or poly/cotton blend clothes that air dry in the laundry room seem to come out with no wrinkles because they get the benefit of some heat when the dryer is running with the towels and linens. Just going old school and not having a dishwasher is another way to force yourself to just not use the energy to wash and dry dishes.
5. Use appliances in the morning or in the evening when the temperature is lower.
6. Adapt a cool menu.
In the summer, explore cold eating, such as fruits and vegetables, pasta salads, salads, finger sandwiches, and cold cut sandwiches, which do not require heat to prepare. And if you must cook, consider preparing foods that can be prepared via microwave cooking, since minimal heat is dispersed into immediate room. I even go so far as to fix sun tea, put it in the refrigerator, and drink on it all day. If you set it out at breakfast, you should have enough to drink on by lunch time. With lunch, you have to use some ice cubes, but after a few hours cooling in the refrigerator, it is cool enough to drink without ice cubes by dinner. Also, it is good for coffee drinkers to discover new sources of caffeine, though there are all kinds of teas, most caffeinated, some herbal, and some decaffeinated.
7. Remember this too shall pass and that you will be missing the heat when it is cold outside. But on a more serious note, you want to make sure you are healthy and well surviving the heat. Saving money should never take priority over one’s health and well being. Some people need to have air conditioning all the time. I like for things to be between 75-80 degrees, and see 80 degrees as an ideal temperature. But each person is wired differently, and some people have health needs and medical needs that should always take priority over trying to save money on the electric bill.
