Reducing your home’s carbon footprint is never a bad idea, especially when it means you could save on your utility bills during the hot summer months. As the season heats up, try our best summer home energy-saving tips to keep things cool without breaking the bank.
5 Summer Home Energy-Saving Tips
- Upgrade your window treatments
- Install a smart thermostat
- Replace air filters
- Caulk gaps around windows and doors
- Use power strips
Upgrade your window treatments
Only the good kind of shade here. During hot months, window treatments such as blinds, shades, and curtains can help reduce sun exposure in your home, keeping temperatures from spiking indoors. Reflective or light-colored window treatments are particularly effective in reflecting sunlight away. This reduces the need for air conditioning, leading to lower energy consumption and costs.
Install a smart thermostat
Smart home features are everywhere these days, and one perk of a smart thermostat is that it can sync with smart devices you already have. More importantly, smart thermostats can significantly reduce energy consumption by learning your schedule and preferences to optimize heating and cooling. They can automatically adjust the temperature when you’re not home or when you’re asleep, leading to lower energy bills. Some models also provide energy usage reports so you can monitor and manage your consumption more effectively.
Some smart thermostats even offer advanced features like zoning, where you can set different temperatures for different rooms or areas in your home. They can also provide real-time weather updates and adjust settings accordingly.
Replace air filters
A clogged air filter can restrict airflow, forcing your HVAC system to work harder to maintain your ideal temperature. This increased strain can lead to higher energy consumption and utility bills. When you replace air filters regularly, your HVAC system operates more efficiently. Plus, replacing air filters is essential to maintaining the air quality in your home. Allergies? We don’t know them.
Caulk gaps around windows and doors
Proper insulation is important year-round, not just during the summer. Doors and windows are common sources of air leaks, where conditioned air from inside your home can escape, and outside air can enter. This exchange forces your heating and cooling systems to work harder to maintain a consistent indoor temperature. Caulking these gaps and cracks reduces the workload on your HVAC system and conserves energy.
Use power strips
Just because a device is turned off doesn’t mean it isn’t using energy. Many electronic devices and appliances continue to draw power if you leave them plugged in, even when they’re turned off. Power strips can cut off power completely to these devices when they’re not in use. It might seem like a small difference in energy consumption, but it can lead to significant savings over time.
Many power strips also come with built-in overload protection, which can help prevent electrical fires and damage to your devices. By protecting your electronics from power surges and overloads, power strips can contribute to the longevity and efficiency of your appliances. In the long run, this saves energy and reduces waste from having to purchase new devices more frequently.
Bonus summer home energy-saving tips
Some summer home energy-saving tips will yield more savings than others, but every little bit helps. If you’re looking for some additional ways to trim costs this season, here are some bonus strategies to try.
- Wash laundry with cold water
- Save tasks like laundry and cooking for cooler hours of the day
- If you have a pool, keep it covered when not in use
- Switch to LED lightbulbs
- Keep the thermostat at 78 degrees
Don’t forget that being comfortable in your home matters just as much as your budget. If you need to turn the thermostat down a few degrees, don’t sweat it.
Reducing your home’s carbon footprint is never a bad idea, especially when it means you could save on your utility bills during the hot summer months.
