Ways You Can Conserve Energy During The Summer
Summer is the perfect season for energy savings. With the warm weather and longer hours, you can take advantage and use much less energy than you will in the other seasons. This article outlines 5 ways that you can conserve energy during the summer months.
Run the air-con less:
Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean you need to run the air-conditioner 24/7 in order to be comfortable. Save the air-con for the really hot days when a fan just won’t do. On warm days a fan will often suffice, especially if just one or two people are home. There is no need to cool an entire home when only one room is being occupied. Also make sure that you are not always blasting the air-conditioner. You might be used to it creating a slight chill in the house, but you don’t need it to be that cold inside. Lowering the setting on the air-conditioner will save you energy.
Open the curtains:
During the longer months you will not have to turn on lights very often. If you tend to keep your curtains closed, it might seem darker than it is causing you to turn on lights when they’re really not needed. Open the curtains and let the light in. If you still have thick, dark coloured curtains up from the cold winter months, take them down and replace them with lighter ones that will allow in more natural light. This will also allow the breeze to flow through more easily when the windows are open, helping to cool your home.
Take advantage of public pools:
If you have a pool, you know it takes a lot of time and energy to fill it and keep it running. Just because you have a pool doesn’t mean that you have to use it all the time. If you only plan on swimming for a day, it’s better to go to a public pool.
Bake less often:
Baking in the summer is counterproductive. You don’t want to do anything that will make your home warmer than it already is. If you bake during the warm months, you will heat your home and then run your air-conditioner to cool the house down again. The less you use the oven and stove during the warmer months the more energy you will save. In the summer most people prefer light and cool meals. Those kind of meals will require less of the oven and stove, which in turn will save you energy.
Dry laundry outdoors:
You’re probably not going to wash your laundry by hand, but you can certainly hang your washed laundry outside to dry. Take advantage of the warm, sunny days to do laundry, so that you can avoid using the dryer.
Summer is the perfect season for saving energy. You don’t need to heat your home, use the lights as much, or even use the oven as much as you do during the rest of the year.