Do you know the breakdown of your electricity usage? Thankfully our friends with the TVA EnergyRight program have you covered with this quick video explaining the average home’s energy use. Watch below,
Did you catch that? Heating and/or cooling your home combined with heating your water makes up 75% of your monthly electric bill. That is why you often will notice that your electric bill is the highest during the hottest and coldest months of the year (especially in our wide-ranging Southern Kentucky climate). As we covered back in the winter, your HVAC unit is not only taking up the biggest chunk of your energy usage but is working even longer during those hot and cold months to keep your home at a desired temperature. Due to that fact, the main way you can save on your energy bill is to find ways to reduce usage of your HVAC unit and water heater. Thankfully, there are a number of options you can take advantage of to save on your monthly bill.
Tips you can start doing TODAY to help save on your energy bill this summer include:
- Setting your home’s thermostat to a higher temperature (for maximum savings, TVA recommends 78° F in the summer). The most comfortable way you can practice this is by turning up the thermostat when no one is home before turning the thermostat back to your desired temperature when returning.
- Use cold water when washing clothes and dishes in addition to taking cooler showers. This uses less hot water and in return makes your water heater use less energy.
- For airflow during hot days, use ceiling and/or oscillating fans. Fans use significantly less energy than your HVAC unit and help create a nice breeze throughout your home.
- Utilize the long days of Summer by opening the blinds and letting in natural light for most of the day and into the early evening instead of turning on all of the lights.
- Unplug electronic chargers (phone chargers, tablet chargers, laptop chargers) when not in use. This is a tip to practice all year but is one that can help immediately make an impact as these chargers use the same amount of energy whether or not the device is plugged into them.
Using these tips along with looking into the other items recommended by TVA Energyright (HVAC maintenance and checking for air duct leaks to name a few) you will see the results every month on your electric bill. For more energy savings tips, follow @glasgowepb on Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and Instagram.