As we move into the spring months and the weather starts to break away from the freezing temperatures, it is time to start thinking about transitioning your home for spring and summer.
For some, this means getting the spring cleaning to-do list drafted and adding some DIY home improvement projects. For others, it means getting the garden plotted and planted so to leverage the break in the cold weather and see a big spring harvest.
Regardless of how you choose to spend your time during these upcoming spring months, it is important to be thoughtful of saving energy going into the summer months. The summer time is when more water and more energy are used than most other times of the year.
The sunshine inspires more activity and having longer days with more sunlight means that we can be playing outdoors and doing various activities for more of the day. But, all of these activities require electricity and so it is important to be thinking about using that energy efficiently.
Your power bill is one bill each month that you can have a big impact on, and with just a few simple habits you can keep your power bill within budget each month.
Here are some tips for staying energy-efficient this spring:
- When it isn’t too cold outside, open the windows up to allow some fresh air to get inside. If it’s damp outside then the dust and pollen will be at a minimum, meaning that you can allow some fresh air into your home without worrying about the adding pollutants in your indoor air. Make sure that you have UV curtains on your windows so that if the sun does get very bright and glaring you can pull the shades or curtains and reduce the amount of heat in your house.
- Use these months before spring and summer to start shopping for UV light blocking curtains, shades, and blinds. These special window treatments are a great way to make sure that your home is protected from the extra 2 to 5 degrees that the glaring sun can cause.
- If you don’t have them already, use these few months to shop for and install ceiling fans in your home. These are especially helpful in the bedrooms of your home during the spring and summer months when the nights can get hot enough that it is difficult to sleep without the air conditioner on.
Getting a head start on energy-efficiency before the spring and summer months officially arrive is the best way to ensure that you and your family are prepared. If you are concerned with your climbing power bill, some of these tips should help.