photo: Flickr.com
In most places around the U.S. simply opening the windows and turning on the fans won’t cut it if you’re trying to keep from sweating through the summer.
But by the same token, don’t you hate it when your house or office is chilled down to the “meat locker” setting? I mean what’s up with that? It’s hot out, and I want to be comfortable – but I’m not looking for it to be Michigan in January!
Most of us love our air conditioning, but hate the price we have to pay to run it. So let’s be energy smart about it.
First, let’s keep in mind that the worst part of a hot day is the humidity. And air conditioning is wonderful at eliminating that humidity. But you don’t need your A/C turned way down to accomplish that. Set it to the mid-70s. That’s a normal, comfortable temperature even on the nicest Caribbean Island.
Try it out. Your home will be like Baby Bear’s porridge—and your bills will be a little less ridiculous. In fact, we can save 10% on our energy bills every year by simply dialing back our thermostats ten degrees or so for eight hours a day. It’s simple. If everyone in the house is going to work or off to the local swimming pool, set the A/C somewhere in the mid-80s. After all, there’s no need to cool an empty home.
Your place won’t roast while you’re away. And you’ll significantly reduce your cooling bills.
Oh, and by the way, experts at the Department of Energy have even said that it’s simply smarter to turn the AC down when you’re not home and then cool the house when you get home. Basically, don’t listen to the armchair experts who say it’s cheaper to keep the A/C on all day even when no one’s home. They’re probably still thinking it’s smarter to idle your car rather than turning off the engine.
Also, get the most out of your A/C and the money you spend to run it by using your ceiling fans. They do a great job of circulating the air in your home, allowing you to turn down the A/C and still feel cool. By some estimates, wise use of your ceiling fan can cut your cooling costs by 25%.
And remember, during the summer months we do get some evenings where it’s very pleasant. On these nights, shut off the A/C entirely and throw open the windows! Imagine . . . real, fresh evening air. It helps make for some of best nights of sleep we can get.
All of these easy actions help us to be smarter about the energy we use in our homes. And being energy smart helps us save money and the environment. All air conditioning jokes aside, that’s pretty cool!
Enjoy the savings, enjoy you’re AC, and let’s get energy smart!
Check out more energy smart posts on the SmartPower Blog.
