Because you want to keep cool in summer, your first instinct may be to turn up your air conditioner. However, air conditioning systems tend to use a lot of electricity, and this means your energy costs will go way up. Many households experience a significant spike in their electricity bills during the summer because they are mostly relying on their air conditioners to cool their homes. Here are a few tips on how to save on energy while still keeping your home cool during the summer.
Use your air conditioner sparingly
Most air conditioning systems are designed to cool down the entire house and they are not targeted to specific rooms. This means that whenever an air conditioner is running, a lot of electricity is being used to cool down rooms that are not being occupied at that moment. To save on energy, you can opt to turn off your air conditioner and use fans instead. The advantage of using fans is that they only cool one single room and not the entire house. This means that you only have to turn on the fan in the room you are in, and you can turn it off when you leave. It is estimated that using an air conditioning system can be up to 60 times more expensive than using fans.
If you still prefer to use an air conditioner, you should learn to use it more sparingly and more efficiently. You should ensure that you maintain it properly and service it frequently so that its energy efficiency does not decline. A poorly maintained air conditioner tends to use more energy, and this will be reflected on your electricity bill. If your air conditioner is located outside, try as much as possible to keep it free from weeds, falling leaves, dirt, and anything else that may affect its efficiency.
Use window treatments to shade your house
To keep cool in summer, you can use window treatments to shade your house from direct sunlight. If you allow the sun to shine directly into your windows during the summer, those rays can raise the room temperature by about 3 degrees Celsius. Window treatments that are effective in blocking heat from the sun include blinds, drapes, and window shades. You should use white or light coloured window coverings to reflect the sun’s rays away from the room. Exterior window awnings can also help reduce heat gain. Adjustable awnings are even better because they allow you to control and manage the amount of sunlight that gets into the room.
Open and close your windows at the right time
During the summer, you should carefully choose when to open and close your windows, so that you maximise the amount of heat that you block and the amount of cool air that you let in. For instance, keeping the windows closed during the day can prevent heat and humidity from entering the house, and opening the windows late in the evening will let in cool air, which will reduce the temperature inside the house. Closing windows during the day and opening them overnight can help you save on energy during the summer because you won’t need to rely too much on your air conditioner.
Talk to our experts to discuss an energy efficient heating and cooling system for your home that reduces your power costs.