Frugal Simplicity

The heat of the summer can cause your power bill to skyrocket. Trying to keep your home cool while trying to keep your power bill down isn’t always easy, but it can be done. Using these tips can help you to keep your home cooler and keep your power bill down at the same time.

Avoid using appliances during the hottest part of the day that heat the home, such as the stove, oven, and dryer. The air units have to run even more to try and cool down areas those appliances are heating up. Use heat generating appliances when it’s cooler like early in the morning or later in the evening.

When baking, refrain from opening the oven door repeatedly while you are cooking. It lets the heat out, thereby making the air unit run harder to cool off the heat from the oven. Set a timer for how long the oven needs to bake what you are cooking and then check on it. Keep the heat in the oven and out of the kitchen.

Invest in a slowcooker or crockpot. These put off a lot less heat than the stove and oven, and can be set on low to cook even while you sleep or shop. They don’t heat the kitchen up and using them gives you time to do something else while the food cooks.

Use fans to help circulate the air. Ceiling fans and regular fans on a stand help to move the air. If you have window units, using fans will move the air from room to room more efficiently. If you have window units but not in every room, placing a fan in the door of the room without the air units will help keep the room cooler.

Computers heat up rooms. Fans are especially helpful in the room where you keep your computer. Using a fan to keep the air circulating will help keep the room cooler and keep your computer from getting too warm in the hottest part of the summer.

Close off rooms that are not in use or used often. Don’t try to cool rooms that you don’t use. This is most helpful if you have window air units. Keeping doors closed to rooms not in use leaves less area to be cooled, so it will be easier to cool it and keep it at a decent temperature.

Keep kids from going in and out repeatedly during the heat of the day. Each time the door opens, it lets the heat in and the cool out. Have them be either in or out, but not back and forth.

Clean the filter or change the filter on your air unit every two months. Dust from the air collects on the filter and it needs to be cleaned or changed on a regular basis. Clean filters help the air unit to cool the home more efficiently.

Place weather stripping on doors and windows that have cracks. Weather stripping keeps the cool air in and the heat out. It comes with a stick on side and can easily be applied to entrance doors and windows, and won’t harm the facing or woodwork. Weather stripping is available at hardware stores and discount stores such as Wal-Mart.

Keep curtains and blinds closed during the hottest part of the day. Opening curtains and letting the hot summer sun in during the hottest time of the year only heats up your home and causes your air unit to work harder to cool. Turn on the light and keep the curtains closed during the day. Using the light will burn less electricity than the air unit trying to cool what the sun is heating up.

Invest in insulating drapes for your windows. Insulated drapes have a rubber like backing that insulates, keeping the heat out and the cool in. These work opposite in the winter, keeping the heat in and the cold out. Using these with blinds gives a nice decorative look while helping to save money on power costs.

There are more ways to save money on the costs of cooling your home. These are just a few tips that can help keep your home cooler and your savings happier.

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