5 Ways to Help You Save on Your Summer Energy Bill

Here are 5 ways that can help you save energy, money, and increase the comfort of your home.

1. Installing a smart thermostat is one of the simplest ways to manage home energy use and keep summer bills in check. Smart thermostats are easy to install and allow you to control your heating  and cooling system from your phone. You can purchase an ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostat for as low as $100, which can save you up to 8% on annual heating and cooling costs, about $50 per year. This upgrade will quickly pay for itself, and you’ll gain insight into better ways to heat and cool your home.

2. Speaking of smart, additional devices like smart LED bulbs also offer convenient control and help boost energy savings at home. With smart lighting, you can set a schedule for when your lights should be turned on or off. The next time you head out to run errands and realize you left the lights on, all you have to do is turn them off through an app on your phone. Smart lights come in a variety of shapes, colors, and brightness levels, and you can purchase bulbs for indoor or outdoor use. Schedule outdoor smart lights to illuminate your home at night and when you’re out of town for better security.

3. While it’s not as incorporating smart technologies, sealing air leaks around your home is a simple, effective way to save energy and lower your bills. Applying new (or replacing old) weather stripping around doors and windows can instantly make your home more comfortable and reduce energy waste. Applying caulk to fill gaps can also improve the seal of your home. Caulk can be applied to a variety of areas, including windows, doors, bathtubs, and sinks.

4. If your home feels too warm during summer (and too chilly during winter) even after you’ve sealed with weather stripping and caulk, your home may need additional insulation. Insulation is a more expensive efficiency upgrade; however, if your home is under-insulated, additional insulation can make a big impact on reducing energy use and costs. The cost of new insulation depends on a variety of factors like materials, size of the home, and whether you use a contractor or do it yourself. Typically, the project costs can be recouped in a few years and your home will immediately feel more comfortable.

5. Of course, there are additional efficiency upgrades that can make a big impact on energy use, like replacing old appliances with Energy Star models or replacing old, leaky windows with new, energy efficient windows. But these upgrades can be a bit pricey.

If you want to make your home more energy efficient but you’re not sure where to start, your best bet is to enlist the help of our energy consultants. They can analyze your usage history, learn the habits of those living in the home, and get to know what kind of heating and air conditioning systems you currently have. These can all be used to conduct an energy audit of your home to identify areas to improve efficiency and comfort. They will inform you of rebates that are available for the efficiency upgrades and help determine the projects you want to tackle first, based on your budget and needs. To book a time with one of Benton REA’s energy consultants call 509-786-8265.