How We Can Save a Little of Our “Cheap” Electricity
I was burning candles before dawn today and it’s not because I’m rich! We had no electricity. That started me thinking about ways that we should be cutting down on our use of electricity. Like yesterday’s water-saving article, there are hundreds of ways. Because it’s so hot, here are a few tips to cut your energy consumption from your air conditioning.
~Use a programmable thermostat. If you don’t already have one, it’s worth the minimal investment. Set it to turn the AC off when you leave and back on about ½ hour before you are due to return. Contrary to popular belief, it does NOT take more energy to cool a house down than to keep it cool. If your house uses window or wall air conditioners, you can use programmable plug-in timers.
~Using a ceiling fan can help you feel about five degrees cooler. Make sure it’s blowing down. This will allow you to raise the temperature of the air conditioner. Ceiling fans cost about a penny an hour to run – central air costs about 70 times as much!
~ Keep your blinds and curtains closed. Direct sunlight can raise the temperature of a room by 10 – 20 degrees.
~Clean or replace your AC filter every month. Dirty filters reduce air flow causing the unit to work harder and use more energy.
~Avoid adding heat to your home. Any heat that is generated has to be removed. Try to cook on an outdoor grill, in a crockpot or in a toaster oven. Use the air setting on your dishwasher. Use your clothes dryer during the cooler mornings or late evenings.
It is estimated that air conditioning accounts for approximately 16% of a home’s energy usage. These tips afford easy solutions that won’t impact our comfort in our homes. In addition to being good stewards and saving energy, we’ll also save a few bucks. That’s always a good result! P.S. Thanks, ComEd, for getting our Long Grove power back on in just a few hours!
