Summer Energy Saving Tips to Lower Your Electric Bill

Summer is just around the corner – time for icy beverages, shades, and air conditioners! The Indian summer heat can really sap your energy, and living without air conditioners seems to be next to impossible. But overuse of air conditioners will lead to high electricity usage, and massive bills. You can’t avoid the summer, but with a little caution and wisdom, you can keep your power usage from spiraling. Here are some simple but effective tips to help you along reduce electricity bill:

• Switch off every light, fan, appliance and electrical equipment immediately after use.  Unplug chargers, blenders, grinders, multi-pin power strips, your TV, and shut down your computer when you’re not using it. This is something taught to us in childhood but sadly many of us still don’t follow it.
• Insulate your home – you can use double glass panels on windows, close all gaps in window frames, fill gaps between walls, use Styrofoam or spray foam – anything to keep the heat away. You can also install simple awnings or sun shades above your windows. You can also invest in window glass that is designed to keep the heat out.
• Keep your drapes, curtains and blinds drawn shut to prevent sunlight from entering. The more sunshine that enters your home, the hotter the house will become. Use blackout drapes for the best effect. It also affords maximum privacy.
• Get an electrician to check your wiring and sockets, especially if your house is a little old – electricity may be leaking, and that is also dangerous. You can find more at: Top 15 Common Electrical Problems and Solutions
• Use ceiling fans as much as possible; it won’t bring down the temperature but will circulate the air and make you feel cooler, especially if you’re sweating.
• If you’re buying an air conditioner, look for an Energy Star rating of 3 or 4 stars at the least. They consume 10-15% less power than air conditioners with lower ratings. In fact, check the star rating of any new appliance you’re thinking of buying – refrigerator, washing machine, etc. This will certainly help to keep the energy cost down, even if you have to invest a little more at the time of purchase.
• Make sure you run a maintenance check on your air conditioner – after all you’re going to use it a lot more often in the summer months. Get it cleaned and serviced, and ensure that it is functioning efficiently. Make sure there are no leaks in the ducts. If there is dust around the compressor unit, it may have to work harder to cool your home. Similarly, make sure that the back of your refrigerator is free of dust. Dusty coils are the culprit for your refrigerator working harder to cool what is inside it.
• For a long term solution, if you live in a villa or individual home with some space, plant trees in your yard. They will provide shade and bring down the temperature slightly, reducing your need to switch on the A/C. Even if you live in an apartment, you can have potted plants inside the living room, bedrooms and balconies. You will get fresh air to breathe, and plants always create a feeling of coolness.
• In any air conditioner that you buy, you have several settings, including those which use the appliance in such a way that it uses minimal electricity without compromising on your comfort. You can use timers so that it gets switched off automatically in an hour or so (by which time you may be asleep), or use the Economy or Sleep mode – each company has its own name for the energy saving mode. The closer the temperature setting of your air conditioner is to outside temperature, the less power it will suck.
• Avoid operating appliances that give off heat, like clothes dryers, ovens, water heaters, and so on. The hot air given off by these appliances will raise the temperature inside your home and you will be tempted to switch on the air conditioner. Hang your clothes to dry, limit your hot water usage, and use your microwave instead of the oven to reduce heat emission inside the house.
• The temperatures inside your refrigerator and freezer also need to be maintained at the ideal levels. Your refrigerator should be preferably at 2 or 3 degrees C, and the freezer at -18 degrees C.
• If the whole family spends most of the time in one room, you can limit the use of air conditioning. Spend time outdoors so that you can switch off the lights and A/C in your home.

These are simple things that all of us can do; by saving electricity you not only reduce your bills, you also increase the availability of electricity for the community.