Campfires, barbecues, and summer festivals are usually complemented by the familiar coolness of the air conditioner that we love to bask in on the hottest days.
However, all good things have their downside, and the same goes for air conditioning: the more it runs, the higher the electricity bill! So, to avoid unpleasant surprises and effectively reduce costs, here are our 15 summer tips!
Electricity bill: 14 ways to reduce your energy costs
By doing good for your wallet, reducing the consumption of a home air conditioner also contributes to better management of the carbon footprint: it’s a win-win! To achieve this without sacrificing any of the personal comfort provided by a cool interior, nothing could be easier:
1. Stay on the ground floor during the day
The highest parts of your home are the most directly exposed to the sun. By confining yourself to spending most of the day on the ground floor, you expose yourself to the less oppressive heat.
2. Insulate your windows
By placing an adhesive thermal insulation film on the windows, infrared and ultraviolet radiation, which usually penetrates the glass and raises the interior temperature, is dampened and reflected.
Attics, walls, and garages are most often a source of infiltration, which generates excess heat and also lets the coolness inside dissipate. Calling on an interior insulation professional will allow you to effectively avoid the infiltration of hot air currents in summer.
3. Caulk your windows
Poorly insulated, a window is quickly the door open to drafts. At the hottest summer, such infiltrations are enough to weigh down the bottom of the air indoors.
4. Pull curtains and blinds
A room left at the mercy of the rays of the blazing summer sun is the best way to transform your interior into a greenhouse on a human scale. To avoid taking root, draw curtains and blinds without moderation – preferably in light colors.
5. Open windows at night
For homes located further north in Quebec, where summers are ideally milder, leaving a window or two open at night is a pleasant way to stir the air.
6. Arrange your appliances smartly
There are many devices that, in addition to being bulky, emit a considerable amount of heat. Rather than overloading a room with them, be sure to arrange them wisely to ensure good ventilation.
7. Use fans
If your interior is already equipped with ceiling fans, this is a good way to reduce your energy expenditure by nearly 40%, like keeping your interior well ventilated.
8. Have your HVAC system filter serviced
All too often neglected, the filters of your heating, air conditioning, and ventilation system play a vital role, both in capturing dust and suspended particles that are particularly harmful to health, as well as in the proper distribution of indoor air.
Left unsupervised, these filters end up clogging up, compromising the system’s proper functioning, sure to cause you technical and financial problems later on. Also, don’t put it off until tomorrow.
9. Plant vegetation nearby
A more natural alternative, this time, planting bushes and leafy plants to the south and west of your home, protects you from light and heat for a pleasant indoor temperature until the height of summer.
10. Prefer a clear roof covering
The link between colors and heat retention is no longer to be established. Also, the lighter (paler) the color of your roof, the more effectively it will reflect heat. In summer, a suitable coating can reduce the ambient heat indoors by 10°C.
11. Install solar panels
Solar energy is a renewable source capable of largely meeting the electricity needs of a home. Installed on the roof, you can generate your own energy; in other words: you reduce both the energy impact and the cost of using your HVAC system.
Solar is a lower-cost operation if we compare it to the rates charged by Hydro-Québec, which, during the sunniest summer hours, allows you to power your air conditioner like the rest of your household appliances.
12. Adapt your wall-mounted air conditioner to your interior
To maintain optimal comfort conditions, several parameters must be taken into account, including, as we have already seen, the quality of the insulation of the attic and the walls, the amount of interior heat, and above all: the dimensions of the room. Considering the area to be covered, a unit that is too small or too large would inevitably risk under or over-performing.
13. Turn off your air conditioner when not in use
If it seems obvious to only tackle tasks that generate heat during the coolest hours of the morning or evening and to turn off lights and appliances that are not in use, many forget to do the same for their air conditioner. Don’t let your unit run around the room when you’re not there!
14. Install a programmable thermostat or opt for home automation
When it comes to home automation solutions, there is no shortage of smart air conditioners. Whether programmable features or automatic sensors, you can rely on your air conditioner to deliver the right amount of air at the most balanced temperature for the right amount of time.
Read also: 7 Tips For A Clean Smelling House from Dallas Cleaning Services
