With the summer months just around the corner, many homeowners are planning out their household budget now.
The summer months are the time of year when you want to have extra money to take weekend camping trips and family vacations to far off places.
So, it is important to save money any way that you can. One of the biggest bills that your home has is the power bill. This is the one that fluctuates the most and can get really out of hand during the summertime because of the varying heat index.
Luckily, there are some things that you can do during the summer months to ensure that your power bill doesn’t eat up your vacation budget. Here are a couple of tips to follow:
Use your microwave or slow cooker to make meals rather than turning on your stove or oven. Your microwave uses two-thirds less energy than your stove. Your barbecue is also a great way to save money on your power bill … and less mess!
Use your dishwasher as much as possible and make sure that the load is full but not overloaded. Hand washing dishes takes nearly three times more water and power for hot water than your dishwasher does.
Turn the thermostat to 78 degrees for the times that you are home and to 85 degrees when you are gone. These are the energy department’s recommended temperatures for the most efficient use of your cooling system.
Do not stand in front of the refrigerator looking for a snack or specific item. Know what you want before you open the door to ensure that you are not allowing the cool air to leave the refrigerator.
Run ceiling fans at night to keep your bedroom cool without turning on the air conditioner. Ceiling fans can reduce the temperature in a room by several degrees and use much less power than the air conditioner.
Make sure that the weather stripping around your doors and windows is in good shape and not missing any pieces. This can be the difference between being miserable in your home and being comfortable.
Keep your power bill on budget this summer by starting these tips early and practicing them often. The sooner you can start, the more money you can save, which will all go to making your vacation the best it can be!