Learn how to stay comfortable and save money on your electric bills just in time for spring!
Is it possible to save money on your electric bill without being miserable? You bet! Savvy individuals know the latest hacks for staying cool and controlling their budgets. However, they’re easy enough for you to start immediately and enjoy the benefits.
Take Care of Your HVAC Equipment
Heating – Ventilation – Air Conditioning. HVAC equipment controls the comfort levels in your home. It also impacts your health more than you might realize. There’s a reason experts associate Sick Building Syndrome with system maintenance. By taking care of your air conditioner, you can keep your operational costs low and lessen the amount you spend on doctors’ visits, prescriptions, and medical suppliers.
Thankfully, HVAC maintenance is cheap and easy. Change your furnace and central air filter regularly. Use a filter with a MERV rating of 8 or higher to make sure you’re protecting it from particles big enough to cause a problem. Hire an HVAC technician to check and clean your system before you use it. If your unit needs repairs, you can schedule them before they have a chance to waste any energy. Better yet? By getting the repairs done early, you won’t wind up with bigger, more expensive problems when those worn parts fail.
Ask About Upgrades
Sometimes, it takes money to make money — or in this case, to save it.
One of the best upgrades for a central air conditioner is humidity control. It’s essential to keep you and your home healthy. The dry air of winter? It dries out your nose and lungs, opening pores and making it easier for viruses to find a way into your body. The high humidity found in summer can be the perfect invitation for pests and mold.
Humidity control also improves your comfort instantly. How? The drier the air, the more sweat can evaporate from your body. It always feels hotter outside when the weather is humid, right? The same is true indoors. Lowering your indoor moisture levels will help you feel cooler while keeping your thermostat at a higher temperature.
Swap Out Window Plastic for Tin Foil and More
While covering your windows with plastic will prevent cold from getting in during the winter, it’s not as helpful during the summer months. Your home doesn’t heat up because of air leaks. It heats up because there’s a mega-generator (called the Sun) aiming its rays at the roof and windows of your home.
The next time you have to replace your roof, ask about cool roof technologies. Shingle manufacturers are constantly on a mission to develop new ways to keep temperatures low. From light-colored shingles and reflective paints to materials which block different types of light, the advancements help prevent your home from absorbing excess heat.
However, you don’t have to reroof your home in order to experience some relief. Just as you cover your windows with plastic in winter, you can use a variety of materials to keep your home from heating up. Here are just a few ideas:
- Cover your windows with tin foil to help block out radiant heat. Hang sheets of tin foil over your windows from the inside of your home, and secure them with tape. Then hope your neighbors don’t complain.
- Use blackout rollers, drapes or insulated cellular shades. Blocking the sun from coming in your windows will make a big impact on your energy bills. Insulated cellular shades fitted to your window frames will do the most good, but they’re also the most expensive option. Thermal drapes or shades will do double duty come winter.
- Install window awnings on the south and west sides of your house. While awnings can be an expensive upgrade, the payoff might be worth the price. The Department of Energy says awnings can reduce solar heat gain by up to 77 percent!
With just a few tweaks to your interior design, you can save big when it comes to cooling your home.
It can take time and practice to learn how to save money on your electric bill. If you need a bit of wiggle room, a title pawn can help. Call or visit your nearest Title Tree store to find out whether you qualify.