California is experiencing an exceptional heat wave this summer and, accompanied with our drought, we’re expected to waste quite a bit of resources. In this case, we’re looking at energy waste. We’ve gone over some energy saving tips before, but just wanted to remind you again of some things you could be doing to lower your costs and use as little energy as possible.
1. Install a programmable thermostat – This might seem pricey up front, but the costs you’ll save will greatly surprise you. Air conditioning units work the hardest when they’re trying to cool off a very hot room, so when you set the thermostat to maintain a temperature, your A/C unit won’t have to run as much, for as long, or as hard. Plus, you’ll be more comfortable overall because your home will maintain a nice temperature even when you’re away.
2. Run ceiling fans – Running ceiling fans when you’re home while your A/C is on will allow you to raise the temperature on your unit or thermostat. Since your unit will have extra help from the less power-hungry ceiling fan and a cooler room to make colder, it won’t have to work as hard.
3. Tilt blinds up – During the hotter times of the day when the sun is out, make sure you not only close your blinds, but tilt them up. This keeps the sun from seeping in through the cracks and slowly warming up your home. As the sun moves away from your windows, you can open your blinds again or set them however you like.
4. Install room air conditioning units in the shade – This might sound silly, but if you’re using window A/C units, try to install them in windows that are most often in the shade. When the unit sits in the sun, it gets hotter and tends to run harder to lower the temperature inside the home. If possible, install window units on the north facing side of your home.
So there you have it, some easy things to do to keep yourself comfortable, save some money and become a more energy efficient home. Saving energy and using it wisely is important because we only have so much, so make sure you set your priorities for energy efficiency high when managing the heat wave.