How to Stay Cool and Save Electricity This Summer

7 June, 2021 Hi-Lite Electric Inc.

Summer is the perfect time to hit the streets and suck in the beautiful views of your neighbourhood, to visit the beach, and enjoy the halcyon summer haze to the fullest.

However, it also comes with a greater need to stay inside, especially with the ongoing pandemic. Considering how hot and muggy it can get outside, you may find yourself relying heavily on your electric systems to keep you cool.

The downside to this is that you’ll end up using way more electricity and paying commensurately higher utility bills. Thankfully, there are some things you can do to stay cool and save electricity. Read on to find out more.

The Basics

There are several basic things you can do that require minimum tools and not a lot of expertise to quickly help you save on some of your most obvious energy losses.

One thing to do is to keep your windows and shades shut during the day. This way, you keep hot sunlight and humid air out, lessening the strain on your air conditioning system and lowering your electricity costs a fair bit.

It might make sense to pop them open again during the night time as the cooler air will ventilate through your house, if it’s too warm, naturally cooling your home and providing a soft breeze to lull you to sleep.

It also makes sense to flip your lights off whenever they’re not in use. Depending on the type of light bulbs you have installed in your house, a considerable portion of the emitted energy might be converted into heat. For instance, incandescent light bulbs convert around 85% to 90% of their output to heat, so you should definitely keep them off whenever you’re trying to stay cool.

Make sure to turn off your air conditioning when no one is home. Remember that you don’t really need to cool down your house when not in active use, and if you end up being out for large periods of time, this could actually result in significantly lowered fees.

Another thing to consider doing is to take your physical exercise outdoors. Rather than rely on a treadmill or a stationary bike, you can completely eliminate electricity needs for your exercise and enjoy the summer day by taking a jog on the street instead of inside. It also means you’ll generate less heat, meaning there’s less strain on your AC to cool things down.

Lastly, try to avoid running your dishwasher or doing your laundry until the evening or the early morning. This is because these time slots are when temperatures are lower, meaning less energy is being used in your home, thus allowing you an opportunity to further capitalize and max out the efficiency of your household chores. If you want to go a step further, let your laundry air dry so you don’t waste energy on your dryer. Of course, this is a bit of extra work, like all these recommendations, but if you’re really keen on staying cool and staying under budget, they’re well worth following.

Taken individually, these basic steps might not make a big difference, but together they are greater than the sum of their parts. If you can remember to follow all of these tips, you’re sure to notice a significant difference in your electricity usage, which is good for the environment and your wallet.

Install Stuff

This is the next area to tackle and it is slightly more difficult, but nonetheless important. If your home is on the older side, you definitely want to install weather stripping, insulation, and energy efficient windows to prevent air leakage in and out of your home. This insulation makes a huge difference, and even benefits you during the winter, providing savings all year round.

In this vein, you might also want to try installing energy efficient lighting, as this will cut down on your bill and pay back to installation costs in the long run.

You should also get your air conditioner tuned up on a regular basis. This means getting a professional to service it annually so that you know it’s running at optimal efficiency and that there isn’t any excess waste.

In fact, even cheaper than investing in an air conditioner is to use a set of fans. These can take the form of the classic ceiling fan, spinning relentlessly and bathing you in the cold air, or it can even mean just a normal standing fan that will definitely use less electricity than a full AC system. Also, remember to use a ventilation fan in your bathroom during showers and baths to remove heat and humidity.

It might also be worthwhile to upgrade to a smart thermostat. These thermostats are quite fancy, and can be controlled from anywhere with the tap of a smart device. This makes it easier than ever to control things while you’re away from home, and might even slowly learn your heating and cooling habits to anticipate your home comfort needs, saving you money without you needing to lift a finger.

Closing Thoughts

There’s quite a lot you can do to make a difference in your electricity usage. You can start off with things that require significantly less investment, like closing the windows and blinds, turning off the lights when not in use, and optimizing the time your air conditioner is on, before jumping to bigger, more concerted efforts, like installing new thermostats or investing in large fans that can save you money while keeping you cool.

Now that you know how to best manage your electrical services in order to save money and the environment at the same time, you can rest easy. However, if you truly want a lot of control over your energy outlets and how they work on a regular basis, you may need to contact some experts like those at Hi-Lite Electric. If you want electrical work done right, call us at 416-800-5536. Alternatively, reach us through our online web portal here.