As the Maryland summer outdoor temperatures and humidity creep up, we’ll be experiencing a huge strain on the power grids and a huge amount of use from our home air conditioners. Give your air conditioner a helping hand by keeping your home cool in other ways. These tips from Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings by Alex Wilson, Jennifer Thorne and John Morrill of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy can actually keep your energy bills in check this summer.
Start by keeping shades down in windows that get direct sunlight. Also, wait for the cooler evening hours to do activities that will generate heat inside the house, like dishwashing or baking. When you do these activities, ventilate the room so that the heat dissipates quickly. Provide air flow in the room with a ceiling fan that will keep the air moving, resulting in it feeling cooler.
Check your duct work and make sure there are no leaks – the ductwork should be sealed tightly. Make sure the ducts are clean, along with the air conditioner’s filter. Dirty or dusty filters are often a large culprit for malfunctioning cooling systems. In addition, make sure your evaporator coil is clean.
Keep doors to little-used rooms shut while the air conditioning is running. You don’t need to cool unused rooms, so simply blocking them from the main area of the home is a good solution.
Using good common sense about keeping your home cool on its own should bode well for energy prices today.
