Written by Larry Cook

Energy Saving Tips for the Summer

Through the hot summer months it’s especially important that you turn off unnecessary lights. Replace your light bulbs with LED lights that use far less electricity, and don’t get as warm. These steps will help to keep the temperature in your rooms cooler.

When there are less humid and cooler summer days nights, open your windows if there is a nice breeze to enjoy.

If you have ceiling fans or a floor fan, use them throughout the summer to help keep your rooms at least 10 degrees cooler than they would be without the fans.

When you are cooking, use your fan to help pull the heat and steam from your food out of the kitchen.

When you are taking a shower, use your bathroom fan to help keep the humidity lower. You could also consider taking a cooler shower during the summer months! Showers rather than baths help keep the water heater from needing to run as much. Check the temperature on your water heater. It might be possible to turn it down a few degrees to be more energy efficient.

Keep your curtains closed during the hottest part of the day to keep the heat of the direct sun out. When there is no longer direct sun in your rooms, open your curtains enjoy the day light.

Enjoy cooking outside on the grill on a hot summer day to give your oven a break and keep your home cool. If you do need to cook inside, your microwave oven is a good alternative to cook without heating up the kitchen.

Run the dishwasher only when you have a full load. Turn off the heater for your dishwasher and use a towel to dry the dishes instead of using extra electricity.

Do your laundry only when you have a full load. Hang any clothes on a rack inside that can easily dry by air and closely monitor the dryer for the rest of the clothes and towels and sheets to turn off the dryer as soon as they are dry.

If there are areas in your home that allow hot air to get in, consider caulking or weather stripping those areas around your doors and windows to help keep the heat out in the summer and the cold out in the winter.

Keep your air conditioner set at about 78 to 80 degrees consistently to keep your home cool without getting an electric bill that will throw you in to sticker shock!

For all of your electrical needs call or contact Cook Electric today at 410-266-9040.