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(From Financial Literacy Blog) – Students are out of school, the weather is nice, and many Mainers are taking full advantage with summer activities and travel plans. Between the extra seasonal activities, childcare, and more, summer costs can add up. However, to ensure that you aren’t breaking your budget during the warmer months, here are five ways to save on your summer utilities:
Limit Air Conditioning
Most of the energy costs for your home involve heating or cooling. Air conditioning (A/C) alone can cost you nearly five dollars a day if you let it run for eight hours. An easy way to lower your summer costs is to simply dial back on your A/C usage. Instead of running your A/C, consider turning it off and opening up some windows. If it’s simply still too hot, turn it back on, but increase the temperature by a few degrees. Those degrees can turn into dollars.
Draw Your Shades
Whether or not you’re running air conditioning, you should be drawing the shades on whatever windows are exposed to direct sunlight. This prevents direct sunlight from entering your home, which keeps your house cooler. According to Consumer Reports, basic curtains and drapes can reduce the heat gain in your home by 33%. This keeps your home at a more comfortable temperature, which reduces the cost of energy associated with powering A/C or fans.
Stay Low
Due to the layout of your home, this may not be possible. However, if you can, try to spend more time on the lowest floor of your house. As heat rises, the top floors can reach uncomfortable temperatures during a Maine summer. The less time you spend in hot areas, the less time you’ll have to run a cooling system.
Cook Outside
When you’re cooking on your stovetop or baking something in the oven, you’re generating a lot excess heat that will ultimately end up in your home. After using the energy to cook your meal, you may have to use even more energy to cool things back down. Instead, head outside and fire up the grill. Not only will you be helping keep it cool inside, but you can turn an average dinner into a fun event.
Go Elsewhere
Take advantage of the extended evenings this summer. Instead of heading to the couch to stream the latest show, consider using the extra daylight hours to enjoy all that the outdoors has to offer. You’ll save money on electricity by not running any electronics or indoor lights, and get a chance to engage in a number of summer activities before the cold arrives this fall.
Stay cool!