Every summer in the Arkansas heat, electric bills go up. Looking to cut down on costs this summer? Luckily there are more ways to save on your bill than just turning off your AC and not using your oven.
The Basics
- Turn off your AC, use ceiling fans and open your windows
- Turn off lights
- Use energy-efficient light bulbs
- Turn off AC when you’re not home and close the blinds to keep cold air in
- Set thermostat higher
- Use hot appliances, such as curling irons, hair dryers, dishwashers, ovens, and computers, and use toaster ovens, microwaves, and grills when needed
- Get your air conditioning inspected to guarantee that it’s working to the best of its ability
- Take shorter showers
Unplug Devices
- When you aren’t using a device, unplug it. This includes computers, fully-charged laptops and TVs. If you don’t want to manually unplug devices, consider investing in a Smart Strip, which automatically cuts power when devices don’t need it.
Keep Cold Air Contained
- Close doors and vents to rooms that you aren’t using so that the air only circulates in the rooms you need.
Add Insulation
- Insulation will keep cold air in and hot air out, and vice versa. Squirting spray foam into drilled holes will do the trick if you’re on a budget, but it’s always a good idea to consult a professional about what’s best for your home.
Air Dry
- Hang your laundry outside in the heat and air dry your dishes instead of letting your dishwasher do it for you.
Make a Routine
- At night, open your windows and turn up your thermostat or turn it off, using your ceiling fan if necessary.
- In the morning, close your windows and blinds to keep out the hot air.
Plant Trees
- While bringing natural light into your home saves on electricity since you don’t need to turn on lights, direct sunlight will make your AC work harder. If you have the means, consider planting trees to block wherever there is intense sunlight.
Be Mindful of Lamps and TVs
- Keep your lamps, TVs and other hot appliances away from your thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from around it, so hot appliances will make the AC run longer than it needs to.
