5 Effective Ways for Homeowners to Cut Summer Energy Bills

There is a good chance that your recent energy bill was quite high - maybe even higher than usual. This is because the summer forces you to utilize a number of appliances that demand more energy. Namely, your air conditioner is working on overdrive to cool your home, so that you can beat the heat and live more comfortably. However, there are a number of reasons why your energy bill may be higher than it should be. You may have an energy leak. You also may be leaving lights on and leaving certain gadgets plugged in longer than they should be plugged in. Luckily, there are a number of ways to reduce your energy usage and save money. Here are five effective ways for homeowners to cut summer energy bills.

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 1. Lower your reliance on your air conditioning system. If you read the heating and air conditioning FAQs on any HVAC website, you will notice questions regarding high energy bills popping up a lot. This is because a lot of people wonder how they can reduce their utility costs. Well, the simplest way to reduce your costs is to reduce your reliance on your air conditioner - try programming it, so that it only goes off when you need. In most cases, you don't need to run your air conditioner all day and night.

2.    Use fresh air to cool your home. Another way to cut summer energy bills and reduce your reliance on your air conditioner is to use fresh air to cool your home as opposed to the air conditioner. At night - when the weather is particularly moderate - you want to open your windows and let the fresh cold night air in. In the morning, you can close all the windows to trap the air inside. This can significantly cut costs, because the cool night air is totally natural.

3.    Make sure to turn off lights and unplug appliances. It is critical that you unplug all the different appliances in your home that you typically leave plugged in, like computers, cell phones and even televisions. Even though these items are plugged in, they are still using energy. Also, you want to remember to turn off lights before you exit a room - in the summertime, leaving on unnecessary lights is one of the best ways to waste money and energy.

4.    Utilize ceiling fans. If you want to cool down a certain room, you can get a lot of relief from the heat by using a ceiling fan. Ceiling fans have the power to circulate the air in a room, which can ultimately cool it down. Plus, sitting under a ceiling fan can offer a tremendous amount of relief. Just remember, though, to turn off the fan when you leave the room.

5.   Update or maintain your HVAC system. Another effective way to cut costs is to maintain or update your air conditioning system. If you have an older system, you may want to think of purchasing a new one. If the system you currently have is relatively new or still operable, you may want to replace the filter, clean the coils and wipe down the fan. In the end, the more effective your air conditioner, the lower your energy bills will be.

5 DIY High-Efficiency Home Improvement Projects that Save You Money

Most homeowners are capable of taking on simple home improvements themselves. But when it comes to the prospect of making your home more energy efficient, you may mistakenly believe that such projects should be left to the pros. And while you probably don't want to tangle with installing a modern, energy-efficient AC unit on your own, there are certainly tasks you can tackle that don't require you to have the knowledge and skill of a licensed technician. The best part is that you can not only save money by adopting a DIY attitude; you can also save over time as your upgrades make your home more energy efficient, cutting your carbon footprint and your monthly utility bills in the process. Here are just a few fantastic home improvement projects that will increase energy efficiency and save your household money.

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 1. Install energy film. One of the least expensive ways to improve the energy efficiency in your home is to use a product that stops the sun's heat-producing rays from turning your house into an oven. Energy film is a clingy, transparent sheet that you can cut to size and then stick and re-stick to windows throughout your home. This product could block as much as 90% of the sun's heat-producing rays, lowering your reliance on electrical cooling for your interior and cutting your energy usage in the process. Best of all, you can remove it during the winter months when the sun coming in can help to heat your home naturally.

2.  Seal leaks. If you're really gung-ho, you can attempt to perform a home energy audit on your own as a way to find sources of energy waste. But even online tutorials won't provide you with the equipment and experience a pro brings to the table. That said, hiring a professional home energy auditor will ensure that you end up with a comprehensive listing of the energy issues in your home, giving you the information you need to start adding weather stripping and sealing leaks throughout your structure to improve energy efficiency. Just don't forget that sealing your home may lead to the need for increased ventilation, so you should talk to your HVAC technician about testing your interior air quality the next time you have a service call.

3.   Install a programmable thermostat. You can save some money by upgrading from your standard dial or digital thermostat to a programmable version, provided you follow instructions. Just remember to turn off the electricity before you begin so that you don't zap yourself. Once you've installed your new unit you can program it with Department of Energy guidelines in mind: no higher than 68?F in winter, no lower than 78?F in summer, and dial it back 10-15 degrees during the hours you're at work and while you're sleeping for optimum savings.

4.   Optimize lighting. Using natural light as much as possible is a great way to save on your energy bill, so think about installing mirrors throughout your home to bounce and optimize the light coming in. From there it's a good idea to upgrade your electric illumination. Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) last up to 10 times as long as regular incandescent bulbs and they use about a third of the energy for the same relative wattage. And they fit in standard fixtures. LEDs are even more efficient, but you may have to install new lighting fixtures to use them.

5.   Add insulation. You don't have to understand ductwork design principles or the ins and outs of your HVAC system in order to reduce your need for heating and AC; all you have to do is beef up inadequate insulation. And if you have exposed batting or fill in problem areas like the attic or basement, this is easily accomplished. 

Added Note:

Are you in a budget but still dreaming to create a luxury look of your home? You should check out these 61 cheap home DIY hacks and get inspired!

Remote Control Thermostat Benefits for Homeowners

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Remote control thermostats are quickly becoming incredibly popular - and for a good reason. These programmable thermostats take efficiency of time and energy to a whole new level. With a smart thermostat system, you can control your climate remotely, which means that you can adjust the temperature inside your home from a device, like a smartphone or tablet. With some of these systems, you can get a reading of what the climate is inside your home, so that you can adjust it accordingly. This can give homeowners a lot more freedom and versatility - it can also lower energy bills and maximize the lifespan of your HVAC unit. Here are some remote control thermostat benefits for homeowners.

1.  Convenient. It is a lot more convenient to control and operate your thermostat from a device than to constantly fiddle with your thermostat hands on. What if you are on a different floor in your home? What if you don't want to get out of bed? What if you aren't home? Having the ability to remotely operate your thermostat can give you unprecedented convenience - convenience that you won't find with traditional thermostats.

2.   Intuitive. With some of the WiFi thermostats for iPhone and Android on the market, you can have a totally intuitive interface to control and operate your HVAC system. Oftentimes, these systems are totally digitized, so all you have to do is use your finger to swipe and scroll through different temperature settings and control options. In fact, these interfaces are so intuitive that you don't need any previous knowledge of computer interfaces to learn how to operate them - they are all self explanatory, so they are perfect for any homeowner. You may even find that your remote controlled thermostat is smarter and more intuitive than your old thermostat.

3.   Lifespan increase. One of the beautiful things about programmable thermostats is that you won't need to use your HVAC system as often. When you can control when, and for how long, your cooling and heating system runs, you can place less impact on the vulnerable parts of the system, like the compressor unit and the fan motor. In the end, you will be faced with less expensive repair bills and you won't have to update your system for a long time.

4.   Savings. Another one of the biggest benefits of a remote controlled thermostat is that you can save money on your monthly energy bills. This is especially important during those particularly brutal summer and winter months. If you purchase a remote thermostat that you can control with your device, you may even get alerts when your system is running more than it has to run - you can even turn the device off from a satellite location.

5.   Efficiency. Indeed, programmable thermostats are incredibly efficient. However, remotely programmable thermostats are even more efficient. Not only are you saving time and money - you are also saving precious resources. In the end, if you are looking for a smarter system - that will have less impact on the environment - you probably want to invest in a remote controlled thermostat for your home.