As the weather warms up and summer approaches, be sure to heed these tips on keeping cool and saving energy this summer.
Fix Your Leaks/Seal Your House
Air leakage wastes about 30% of the energy consumed within a home throughout the day. The good news is you can easily find services to audit your house and reduce carbon consumption through improved efficiency, seal windows and doors to keep the cool air in.
In addition, installing dense insulation, especially in households with attics also helps reduce waste.
Raise the Thermostat a Couple of Degrees
Green advocates recommend an indoor summer temperature of 78 degrees-- a little stuffy for summer, but changing the average room temperature by even a couple degrees can make a huge difference in individual energy consumption.
On average you save about 1-3% of your energy consumption per degree above 72 that you use for your room temperature, so consider compromising with a slightly warmer indoor life this summer.
Install a Whole-House Fan
Whole-house fans use up to 90% less energy than an air-conditioner. This exciting technology draws in cool air during the night while also removing heat from the air through venting. And for those not ready to give up their air-conditioners just yet, whole-house fans can help reduce your AC needs significantly when used in combination with your old cooling systems.
Keep the Sun Out!
You can have shading and tinting on your windows installed to help keep out the heat created by that summer sun, but you can also do simple things like keep your shades and blinds closed.
Get the Right Sized AC
Buying too large an air-conditioning system causes inefficient cycling and energy waste, and may also perform more poorly than the optimal size. So remember, bigger is not better- find the right size AC for your space needs.
Turn It Off!
Turning off your heating and cooling appliances is essential to reducing energy consumption- even fans should be turned off when rooms are not in use.
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