THOMASVILLE — It’s summertime and the living is, well, hot. Along with the elevated temperatures we endure this time of year, come elevated electricity bills. I know. I am no happier than you are about that fact. But, it is a reality we all have to deal with during hot South Georgia summer months. In order to beat the heat without driving up your electricity bills this summer, I have compiled eight sensible and affordable tips that are sure to reduce your electricity bill and help you stay cool at the same time!

For some, home cooling during the summer can account for half of their summer power use. Being a southern woman who is very hair conscious and living in a humid climate, I can honestly say, central air conditioning is something me and my hair could never live without and I mean that with every fiber of my being. However, that comfort comes with a hearty price. Consider this: A 2.5-ton central system uses about 3500 watts. At 12 cents per kilowatt hour, it costs 42 cents per hour to run an air conditioning unit. This may not appear to be much money, but multiplied over 24 hours, it’s a $10 a day expense which you probably don’t pay during winter, spring or fall.  Over the course of a month, summer heat can cost your family $300 or more in extra electricity costs. However, you can cut this by at least one third by following the tips and ideas below.

1. Set your thermostat at a higher temperature whenever possible. Each degree you raise the thermostat above 78 degrees will save 6 to 8 percent on your cooling bill. The larger the difference in temperature between the inside and outside of your home, the harder your AC will have to work to maintain that difference. So, bump your thermostat up a degree or two and follow these next seven tips.

2. Get a programmable thermostat and set it. If you are away from your home during the day, consider turning your cooling system off or adjusting it to an elevated temperature, then setting the thermostat to automatically begin cooling your home BEFORE you arrive home from work, school, etc. Contrary to what you may have heard, it’s a myth that maintaining a cool temperature throughout the day costs less than cooling your home down shortly before you get home. The temperature of air, unlike liquids or solids, can be changed quite rapidly because it’s much less dense than its counterparts. Regardless of whether you’re removing hot air from your home once each day or several times throughout the day, you arrive at the same temperature rather quickly.  So, turning on the air when you come home from work at 5:30 p.m. is actually more economical than running your central cooling system the entire time that you are at work at a higher temperature. 

Thermostats are so “tech-friendly” these days you can actually purchase one that can be controlled and programmed from your web browser or smart phone. This feature comes in handy if, say, you go on vacation with your family for a week and realize you forgot to turn off the air conditioning 200 miles into your trip. After a few clicks, you will be able to say your family an extra $35- $70 dollars during your vacation. You can also change the temperature settings from your computer or smart phone too. For those interested in this sort of technology, Home Depot currently sells one from Filtrete for $99. If you do happen to purchase this item, please e-mail me and let me know your experiences with this tech savvy gadget.

3. Utilize ceiling fans. Ceiling fans can make it a room feel three to eight degrees cooler than it actually is, while costing you around a penny per hour to run. So imagine the electricity (and money) you’ll save as you raise your air conditioner’s temperature by five degrees higher and rely more on your ceiling fan’s rotating blades to cool you down. Theoretically, you can run more than 40 ceiling fans for the same out of pocket cost as your central AC. Make sure that your ceiling fan always blows down at you. A fan blowing up does little to no good to keep you cool and it doesn’t actually lower the temperature of the room so there’s no point in keeping it running when you leave. A fan has one job: to blow away the warm air surrounding your body.

4. Clean or replace air filters the beginning of every month. The cost of running your air conditioning with a dirty filter will far negate trying to get more mileage from your existing filters, which have debris on them. During certain times of the year, filters are just going to get dirtier. For maximum efficiency, you want to be sure and have a clean filter. Purchasing permanent filters, which you can wash and reuse, will actually save you more money over time. Amazon.com currently has permanent air filters under $20 (plus shipping).

5. Close shades, drapes and blinds. Direct sunlight can raise the temperature in a room by 10 to 20 degrees. So, do yourself a favor and at least close curtains and shades during the warmest parts of the day. You can always reopen then as soon as the greatest heat of the day has passed.

6. Close vents in rooms not used as often. It’s wasteful and senseless to pay to cool a room nobody is occupying. If you have college aged children, close the vents while they are away at school and then reopen them when your child returns periodically for breaks.

7. Reduce heat from lighting and other heat producing electronics. Conventional light bulbs put off a lot of heat that you’ll have to pay to cool down. A better solution is compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL), than traditional light bulbs, which use far less electricity and produce very little heat. There are also coupons available for you to use during a sale that reduce their cost to $1.50 or less per package. The latest models of televisions and computers may be energy efficient, but if they produce a lot of heat, you’ll have no choice but to pay to offset the heat they create. A good option is to turn off everything that doesn’t need to be on.

8. Home maintenance: Have your central air conditioning unit serviced each year and make sure your condenser has nothing obstructing it like tall grass or weeds. Also, keep your doors and windows well-sealed and check that your insulation is sufficient.

These ideas and tips should help you to see a good bit of savings, depending on your diligence.

For more money-saving tips, visit:

http://www.energysavers.gov/

http://www.energystar.gov/

http://www.consumersenergy.com/

The more money you save on necessities, the more money you’ll have to use on disposable items and other things like family vacations. So take advantage of every opportunity to save a few cents. Over time, those pennies add up to dollars, which add up to family vacations! To leave a comment or question, go to kim@everydaycouponqueen.com. 

For information on how you can attend a free Everyday Couponing Workshop go to www.everydaycouponqueen.com.