May
2
Last weekend, summer arrived early in Los Angeles. It’s gone again, but the brief appearance caused thousands of air conditioners to be fired up for a few days. Even if summer hasn’t arrived where you are yet, now is a good time to check your system or develop a plan for energy efficient air conditioner use. Not only will it reduce your electricity bill, it will also help the environment.
Of course, air conditioning options depend on where you live, but here are a few suggestions for different types of housing:
For a house with windows, a yard, and space on all sides, there are four primary suggestions for reducing air conditioner use:
- Plant trees on the sunny side of the house to provide shade on hot summer days
- Turn off lights and close the drapes or blinds in any rooms you’re not using
- Open opposite windows or sliding doors to allow cross air-flow
- Apply window films to block additional light.
By doing this, my parents are able to limit their AC use to days when it gets over 95 in the house. Using a fan makes a room feel four degrees cooler, but when it’s over 90, that’s not much of a difference.
For an apartment without air conditioning and adequate air flow, some of the same above suggestions apply, but some don’t. For example, you probably have no control over the foliage outside your apartment. My landlord allowed a giant shrub to grow all winter, and then cut it down when it got hot outside. This is the exact opposite of the ideal, so I discovered several ways to keep cool in these conditions:
- Use an outdoor grill and limit oven use. If barbecues aren’t permitted by your lease, use a Foreman grill inside.
- Buy several fans. If your front door faces out to fresh air, place a box fan in the doorway to suck cool air from outside. Some of my neighbors said they had luck facing the fan out, so it sucked all the hot air out of the room, but I could never feel the difference.
- Open the front door and all windows to allow cross-air flow, but keep the blinds down. Instead, tilt them open to block some light, but still allow air through.
- Keep the lights off as much as possible. Don’t use candles, they’re just as warm.
- Take off your shoes and socks. You lose heat through your head, hands, and feet, so keeping them bare will help keep you cool, as will wearing shorts and t-shirts.
For an apartment with air conditioning, and adequate air-flow or direct light, use the same suggestions to avoid turning on the air conditioner until it’s absolutely necessary.
For an apartment with air conditioning, but little air-flow or direct light, some of the above suggestions apply, but most don’t. My current apartment is a more modern building surrounding a courtyard, but we get little air-flow or direct light because of the design. To keep our apartment cool without using a lot of AC, we follow these suggestions:
- Turning off lights in other rooms
- Grill outside or use a Foreman grill inside to reduce oven/stove use
- Wear shorts, t-shirts, and go barefoot
- If you have airflow, keep the windows open longer and use fans to cool the room
- Set the overnight AC above 78 degrees. Turn it up just long enough to bring the temperature down before you go to sleep.
In summer, you should also drink lots of water and other refreshing beverages - not soda - to stay cool and hydrated.
Extreme temperatures usually necessitate air conditioning, especially for children and the elderly. If you don’t have air conditioning, go the library, the mall, or some other air conditioned location. Even if you do have it, you can reduce your energy bill by going outside in the twilight hours to enjoy the fresh air or use the library or mall’s AC. With wise AC use, you can reduce your energy bill significantly and still be comfortable.
If it’s still winter where you live, try these tips for reducing winter energy costs.
What’s your favorite way to avoid using the air conditioner? Tell me in the comments.
Jan
14
Reducing Winter Energy Costs
Filed Under Energy, Expenses, Home Maintenance, Saving Money | Leave a Comment
I’m blessed to live in Southern California. The shiny brochures advertise it as the land of the sun, sand, and surf. That’s true - in the summer. For those of us who live here, winter is cold. Visitors from say, Iowa, may be content to walk around in shorts in January, but Southern Californians are ready to crank up the heat when the temperature dips below seventy. (I never said we were a hardy people.) Certainly, our heating costs aren’t as high those for people who live in Minnesota, but thanks to California’s screwed up energy regulations, our costs aren’t small, either.
So here are my tips for reducing winter energy costs:
Install a thermostat with a timer. My heater is set to turn on about half an hour before we get home at night and half an hour after we go to bed, then to turn on again half an hour before we get up and ten minutes after we leave (to allow for running late.) That means our heat is on for approximately seven hours a day, but not continuously. It only warms the room when it falls too far below our preferred temperature. Since my thermostat is also somewhat broken, that’s 72 degrees. I know that some experts recommend 68 degrees, but our apartment isn’t well insulated and that doesn’t get the chill out of the air.
Dress warmly and use blankets. Before you go turn the heat up any further, put on a sweater and socks. You might even consider a ski hat. That will reduce the heat loss from your body and will make you feel warmer. If you’re just sitting on the couch watching TV, use a throw blanket to keep warm. We have two chenille throws in the living room so we can cover up when it gets a little chilly. As an added bonus, the throws are also excellent ways to cover gaps in the sofa slipcover from that time the dry cleaner shrank it. Just artfully drape the blanket over the gap in the zipper and now the damage is hidden from guests.
Seal pipes, doors, and windows. If you own your home, check the pipes, doors, and windows for leaks, and then do what you must to repair them. This could mean replacing old windows with new, more energy-efficient models, re-caulking, applying duct tape, or putting a film over the windows to lock in heat. If you rent, you can at least close the drapes at night to keep the heat in. Ask your landlord if you can film the windows.
Check your furnace. You should change your air filter at least twice a year. Mark it on your calendar. You may also want to vacuum the vents. The easier it is for the air to flow through the vents, the faster your home will heat. If you have an old furnace, consider replacing it with a new energy efficient model. Although a new furnace is expensive, over time it will more than pay for itself.
Close the fireplace damper. If you’re not using your fireplace, close the damper to prevent cold air from blowing in or warm air from drifting out.
Close vents in unused rooms. If you’re not using a room, close its vent. There’s no reason to heat an empty room.
Replace lightbulbs and old appliances. Remember, that although winter heating takes up about 50% of your energy bill, your lights and appliances still impact your energy bill. By using more energy-efficient appliances and buying Energy Star appliances, you can reduce your total energy bill. By the same token, turn off the lights when you leave a room and turn off any appliances you’re not using. The printer doesn’t need to be on all the time. Unplug your cell phone or battery charger. The little things do matter.
If you follow all of the above tips, you can reduce your energy costs without feeling cold. Visit the following sources for more tips:
For everyone: SmartMoney
For homeowners: Consumer Energy Center
For renters and condo-owners: Focus on Energy
