As published in the Lafayette Today newspaper.
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Now that we’re starting to get some hot weather, you may be wondering how to stay cool without unnecessary air-conditioning costs. Air conditioning was a wonderful invention for staying comfortable when it gets really hot, but it is by far the largest electricity guzzler in most homes, especially in the summer when it can spike to over 50% of total electricity use. A central AC system typically uses a whopping 3500 watts of electricity! For comparison, this is roughly 50 times as much electricity as a ceiling fan uses and roughly 10 times as much electricity as a refrigerator uses if it is left wide open! So, the secret to saving money on your energy bill in the summer is to minimize use of air conditioning. Use it only when you really need to. Following are specific tips for saving money and staying cool.
Set Your Thermostat Higher - Set your thermostat to 78 degrees or higher. PG&E estimates that you save 3-5% per degree, so setting your thermostat 5 degrees higher should save about 20% on your cooling bill. If you'll be gone for more than a few hours, raise your thermostat to 85 degrees while you're gone. Or better yet just keep your central AC turned off unless you become uncomfortable.
Close drapes, blinds, and shades during the day – to keep the sun’s rays out of the home, especially for south and west facing windows.
Open windows at night – Luckily in the Bay Area it almost always cools off in the evening so you can turn your AC off and open your windows while sleeping. When you wake in the morning, shut the windows and blinds to capture the cool air.
Close registers in unused rooms - If you have central AC you can close registers in rooms you're not using so you're not paying to cool them.
Clean your AC filter – It pays to clean your AC filter once a month in the summer. A dirty filter makes your AC work harder, which uses more electricity. Your home improvement store sells permanent filters, which you can wash with a garden hose so you don't have to replace the filter each month.
Don’t produce unnecessary heat - Any heat that's generated inside your home has to be removed by your cooling system, so avoid generating heat inside your home whenever possible. Avoid using your oven during hot spells.
Try a cool shower - A cool shower can keep you cool for quite a while afterward. And the water cost is trivial compared to the electric cost.
There are also many home improvements that can help cut your cooling costs:
Install a new programmable thermostat – The new functions on a new ENERGY STAR thermostat can save over $100 per year.
Paint your home exterior with a light color - The next time you have your home painted, use a light color. The darker the color of your house, the more heat it will absorb, so if you're building, buying, or considering repainting, choose lighter colors for the exterior.
Plant Shade Trees - Well-positioned shade trees can reduce indoor temperatures by up to 20 degrees and energy use by up to 40%. Deciduous trees planted on the west and south sides of your home help to keep the house shaded during the season's peak heating times, but let the sun shine through in the winter.
Have your ducts professionally sealed - Leaking ductwork accounts for 25 percent of cooling costs in an average home, so have your ducts tested and have any leaks or restrictions repaired or sealed by a qualified contractor.
Make sure your attic is properly ventilated - Thirty percent of the heat in your house is absorbed through the roof. Vents in the eaves allow cooler air to enter. An attic fan or whole house fan can significantly reduce your cooling costs.
Consider window treatments – For south and west facing windows without sufficient shading or covers, consider installing awnings or applying sun-control or other reflective films on the windows.
Replace your AC unit - If your old air conditioner breaks down, consider a high efficiency replacement. Replacing a 10-year-old central AC unit with an ENERGY STAR qualified model can cut 20-40% off your cooling costs.
To read more tips and success stories about how to live more sustainably and save money, please visit www.sustainablelafayette.net.
link to PDF of Lafayette Today that
included article on page 6.