How To Lower Your Summer Electric Bill
It can be tricky, but you can lower your summer electric bill. According to experts, you should start with a seasonal tune-up of your HVAC system. Keep shades or blinds closed during the day. And raise your thermostat by at least one degree. In Florida, we see 100-degree days all the time during summer. It’s easy to turn to you’re A/C as the answer, but that can come with costly side effects. We will explore other ways to lower your summer electric bill throughout this article.
Bills that would normally increase at this time of year and this year is even worse because the cost of producing electricity has been increasing fast. Almost 90 percent of homes in the United States use some form of A/C. A recent forecast shows average home electricity prices have risen by about 5 percent this summer compared with summer 2021.
Tips For Managing Cooling And Heating Bills
Yearly Tune-ups can help keep central A/C systems running efficiently. HVAC technicians usually check refrigerant levels and clean the cooling coils. If you’ve been putting off maintenance, you may have to wait longer for service during the hotter months of summer. You can at least change the air filters yourself, to keep chilled air flowing and help your HVAC unit run efficiently.
Close your blinds or shades during the day to keep the sunlight out. Drafty doors that cause your home to cool in the winter can also make it hotter in the summer. Be sure to seal them with weather stripping or caulking to prevent a draft.
Look Even Further To Lower Your Summer Electric Bill
Proper insulation is important to lower your summer electric bill to make sure your home is more efficient. Low-flow shower heads and toilets can save electricity by heating less water. Smart power strips can turn off energy to appliances when they are not being used, which can also help you save on your electric bill. Ceiling fans are a great alternative. They can help you feel cooler for a fraction of the cost of running your HVAC system. Switch the fan off when you’re not home and you’ll have nothing to worry about.
Is It Time To Replace Your HVAC?
If you have an older A/C system, consider replacing it now. The newer models are so much more efficient. There are more options now, like new heat pump systems that use “inverter” technology to cool your home down in the summer and vice versa for the winter. It’s like putting your home on autopilot. Some states and utilities, including New York, offer financial incentives for installing this new technology.
Installing a new cooling system can be expensive and cost upwards of thousands of dollars. This, of course, depends on the type of unit, the size of the home, and a few other variables. Expect to pay $8,000 to $12,000 to have a new unit installed in your home. The good news is, that if you have a new unit installed now, you shouldn’t have to have it replaced for more than 20 years. Of course, you’ll need to keep it maintained in order for it to last you that long.
Park Ave Magazine
Want to be a part of the conversation with Park Ave Magazine? Be sure to check out our newest blogs, articles and events going on in your local community. The magazine is full of exciting articles, art, photography, and trivia about the city of Winter Park and surrounding areas in Central Florida. We would like to thank everyone who has put time and effort to bring Park Ave Magazine to life. We encourage all our local friends to do your part to keep us updated with information you would like to see us cover.
With new events, articles, and information being released, sign up for our newsletter and stay in the loop with everything. Meet all the wonderful people that make Winter Park, Orlando, and the areas around Central Florida an incredible place to work, play, and live. Check it out yourself at https://parkavemagazine.com/
