5 Tips to Saving Energy at Home in San Antonio
Saving Energy at Home in San Antonio
While the official first day of summer isn’t until June 21 this year, many of us are starting to feel the heat now although we are getting a brief respite due to all the rain, don’t expect it to last for long. This means air conditioning units will be kicking in to overdrive to fight off the harsh heat from the sun and cool our otherwise unbearably hot homes. Saving energy at home in San Antonio is a tough assignment during the summer month, especially is you want to remain cool. However, the sun isn’t to blame for all your summer woes. This week we will be highlighting a few ways you can keep your home cool during summer months by reducing the heat your home is generating itself, saving money on your energy bill in the process. Now is the time to implement these strategies, before the heat arrives in full force!
Heat generating appliances
We all love hot meals, warm clothes out of the drier, and saving time by using the dishwasher, but using these things during the middle of a hot day forces your air conditioner to work harder to keep the house cool. Asking someone else to give up these things would probably qualify as crazy depending on who you ask, but if you do a few of them at night instead, your AC will thank you and this will help you save money help you achieve the goal of saving energy at home.
Seal any and all cracks
You can turn the AC as high as you want, but if the air seeps out of the house either way, you’ll wind up wasting a lot of energy, and a lot of money. Take a couple hours before the season gets too bad, and dedicate it to recaulking, and making sure your weather-stripping is still in tact, to keep that precious cold air from slipping through your sheet rock. You can also visually inspect the attic ductwork or have an A/C processional do it for you. Both projects should be regularly attended to if you are a home owner and desire saving energy at home.
Use your fans
Admittedly, swirling the air around in the room doesn’t actually lower the temperature, but it can make the room feel two to three degrees cooler. That two degrees can make a world of difference both in terms of comfort, and in your cooling costs.
Replace air filters
There are a lot of costs to keeping a dirty air filter. For one, all the could air your AC unit is trying to pump into your house, has to run through the filter first. Keeping a dirty one in your unit restricts air flow, which means your air conditioner will have to run longer to accomplish the same amount of cooling. Adding the fact that not changing your air filter can increase the levels of allergens, dirt, and dust in your home, and changing it out may start to feel mandatory.
Don’t Cool An Empty House
It really can’t be said enough. Your furniture isn’t going to care if your home is warm when you’re at work during the day, or out on an errand. So one of the most effective ways to save is to simply have your air conditioning unit turned to a lower temperature or even off if you will be out of the home for an extended period. This is where a programmable thermostat could really come in handy. If you have one, great, use it. If not, you can get one for as little as $22.
Remember that at iClose Homes, we buy houses, we are cash homes buyers in San Antonio – we can close quickly and on your time frame, so if for whatever reason you can’t go through the normal drawn out “For Sale” process or simply don’t want to deal with the hassles of listing your house for sale, contact us at (210) 588-9999 or use the link below:
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