Summer Home Maintenance and Energy-Saving Tips
Summertime brings cookouts, beaches, and fun in the sun. For many, it also brings increased energy bills—mostly due to our attempts to beat the heat. Fortunately, there is a lot that can be done in order to lower energy prices. As an added bonus, many energy-saving maintenance steps that you can take will do more than just lower the cost of your electricity bill—they can even increase the value of your home. Here are 7 important tips that you should keep in mind as summer starts heating up.
- Invest in having your air conditioners (or your central air conditioning) tuned up. Sure, it may seem like an expensive endeavor, but replacing air conditioning filters and having your machines tuned up can ultimately make your air conditioning much more energy efficient. It will also ensure that your air conditioners last for their full life-span—thus saving you the expense of replacing them “before their time.”
- Keep blinds closed during the day, and open at night. This will prevent heat from entering during the day, and it will allow a bit of cool air in at night. Though the difference may seem small, it is completely cost free and energy efficient!
- Keep the thermostat as high as you are comfortable having it. This is everybody’s least favorite tip—at least until they try it out! In the heat of summer, it is very tempting to turn the thermostat far lower than we actually need it. You may realize that you are completely comfortable with your thermostat turned up an extra 5 degrees—with, over time, will save you quite a bit of money.
- Turn the thermostat up when you aren’t home! No one likes coming home to a hot house—but that doesn’t mean you should pay to keep your house at its coolest when nobodies home! Turning up a few notches before leaving the house will keep the temperature reasonable without breaking the bank.
- Check ducts. Obstructed air ducts prevent cool air from traveling around the house—either close your ducts (trapping the cool air where you want it) or keep them clean (letting cool air travel optimally.)
- Unplug appliances when not in use. Many appliances use power even when they are not on. In order to save yourself this unnecessary expense, simply unplug your televisions, toasters, computers, etc. when they are not being used. Or, even easier, just turn off their power strips!
- Pay attention to how much you are using your pool filter. If you happen to own a pool, there is a good chance that you are costing yourself quite a bit of money by running the filter more often than necessary. Try gradually reducing the amount of time you run the filter each day until you find the minimum daily filter time that leaves your pool clean.
- Minimize use of heat-generating appliances, especially during the day. This means running the dishwasher and dryer at night, at avoiding stove and oven use whenever possible. On the bright side, this is a great excuse to fire up your outdoor grill!
- Wash clothes in cold water. This cleans your clothes just as well, and even helps preserve the original color and size of your clothes longer than hot water. Of course, it will also reduce your energy bill! For increased savings, try air-drying your clothes on a clothesline!
For more great home maintenance tips, visit the Blue Marble Properties blog today!