Kids Are Home This Summer, but Your Energy Bill Doesn’t Need to Suffer

Summer in full swing in the Mid-Atlantic region, and many parents are excited about taking time off and having the kids at home. However, those extra people in the house each day may lead to a surprising jump in your energy costs, especially as it gets hotter and the air conditioner becomes a necessity. Here are a few ways to keep your energy bill low while still having some summer fun with your children:

1. Use fans

Fans use very little energy, and can keep you feeling cool while improving air circulation in your home. Don’t forget to turn them off when you step out of the room, though- fans make us feel cooler, but don’t actually cool down an empty room.

2. Turn lights and electronics off

Light bulbs, televisions, computers, and many other items give off heat when turned on, which can cause heat buildup your house, causing discomfort and added load for the air conditioner.

3. Go outside

Summer is the perfect time to get outside and walk, bicycle, or work in the garden, and you can turn the air conditioning off when you’re not inside. If it’s too hot for playing outdoors, try the library, movie theater, or local coffee shop for some fun and some free air conditioning.

4. Take a swim

Visit a neighbor’s backyard pool or your city’s public aquatic center. Swimming is great exercise and it cools you off, in addition to letting you turn off the A/C at home.

5. Forget the cooking

Cooking on the stove, especially simmering or boiling anything for a long period, will heat up your home quite a bit, and using the oven will warm things up even more. Save the baking for winter, and snack on raw or cold foods instead. If you do need to warm food up, try to use the microwave.

For more information on lowering your energy bill, contact us at Sobieski Services today. Our goal is to help educate our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC & plumbing systems).

Photo Credit: Brittni Gee Photography via Compfight cc