Best 14 Tips to Save Money This Summer

Over the years, bills during summer have risen. Hot summer days can also be a setback to your wallet. Because of the hot temperatures, all your family members want to feel more comfortable during summer. Hence, they tend to do extra activities, which causes more expenses. Energy consumption rises and turns out to be the largest from your cooling system at home or for other home activities. Part of this is the extended operating hours of your air-conditioning, fans, and other cooling appliances. In addition, we tend to eat more during summer.

Below are a few recommendations to make out most of your summer and save a few bucks from summer spending.

1) Air Condition Maintenance

Efficiency and your air conditioner needs are essential to all equipment. Before the summer, check your home's AC. Failure to provide the necessary preventive maintenance will result in poor performance and high energy consumption. Do It Yourself videos on how to clean your AC unit are available on YouTube. These are simple steps like clean of air vents using a vacuum to remove dust and free the airflow. Parts like an evaporative cooler, heat pump, coils, and fins will require a service from a professional technician.

2) Use Fans

Fans are cheap than air conditioner units. You may use fans instead of your AC unit in the daytime to save energy and lower your electric bills. However, fans won't produce cold air, but they can circulate it, giving comfort. Turn off your fans when no people are at home to save more energy.

3) Close Your Window Blinds During the Daytime.

The greenhouse effect of the sun during the day can cause hot temperatures inside your house. Protect your home by closing your window blinds during the daytime to block the heat temperature from outside. On the other hand, it is best to open your windows and blinds during nighttime to allow fresh air to flow from outside and have better air circulation.

4) Wash Wisely

Some common home appliances, like water pumps, clothes dryers, and washing machines, generate heat and consume much energy during summer. It is wise to wash loads of dishes and clothes to minimize the use of appliances and limit the heat they can produce.

5) Unplug Appliances and Electronics

We used to switch off our appliances, electronics, and gadgets, but do you know that even if plugged in, the wiring will still generate a small amount of heat? To cool down your appliances, electronics, and gadgets, you need to unplug them when you're not using them.

6) Outdoor Grilling Over the Oven

Avoid conventional oven during summer because it generates tons of heat in your home. In addition, cooking in an oven will charge you high electricity consumption. Help keep your kitchen cool through slow cooking or less fire. Outdoor grilling is one of the best ways to prevent heat inside your home when cooking. It can be an excellent outside activity for your family as well.

7) Install LED Bulbs

Incandescent light bulbs are standard in our homes. According to a study, incandescent light bulbs are inefficient because only 15% or less of their electricity converts into light, and the rest is heat waste. On the other hand, LED light bulbs are more efficient and recycle 75% of electricity into light. However, LED bulb cost is much higher than incandescent light. Still, you will notice that your electric bill will be lower, and you will have energy savings in return.

8) Purchased Efficient Energy Appliances

Investing in appliances for our home is a good idea. But do you know that you need to make extra efforts to ensure you are buying the best appliances? Despite of physical appearance of the devices, we need to check the specification. There are more eco and user-friendly machines. Those eco-friendly appliances are highly efficient and low in energy consumption. Nowadays, companies must add labels on the efficiency of the devices or electronics to help the buyer decide to buy more sustainable products.

9) Conduct a Home Energy Audit.

Keep a record of your monthly bills. Record how many kilowatt hours you consume monthly to check if there is an increase in consumption. One or two of your appliances contributed to the rise in consumption; you may look at and perform appliance maintenance.

10) Consider Insulation Installation

Insulation can help cool your home temperature during summer by blocking heat, noise, and hot air. If your home is well insulated, it can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide comfort in any season.

11) Plant Trees Around Your Home

Trees can cover your home from the sun's heat and produce fresh air. They block heat from the outside, and your home temperature will cool down. It will lessen the operation hours of your cooling systems like AC and fans, resulting in electricity savings.

12) Use Solar Light

Solar is on top of the list if we talk of clean and more sustainable energy. Small solar panels supporting a single light bulb are breaking the market nowadays. Many houses replace the light outside their home with solar light panels. I even saw a city that uses solar lights for its streetlights. Solar lights panel can maximize the sun's energy during summer and convert it to sustainable energy that we can use during nighttime. The concept of the solar panel makes a clean and sustainable energy source. Now, we can sleep at night with lights on outside without breaking our electricity bill.

13) Create Simple Activities Outside

Sometimes, the best way to cool down our houses, minimize energy use, and cut our electricity expenses is to stay out of our homes. Indoor activities will likely increase your energy cost because you will use electricity, electronics, and air conditioner more. Some say it will cost you more to go outside and have recreational activities. That belief is not always the truth. If you become more creative, you and your family can have some activities that are not expensive. Activities like visiting the lake, park, beach, fishing, camping in the forest, or backyard are suitable summer activities. Outdoor activities allow you to turn off all appliances, gadgets, and electronics for a certain period.

14) Make Your Ice Cream

Ice cream is best for summer. Demand for ice cream increases during summer, and it causes price increases. Buying ice cream whenever you and your family want some can be costly. Try making homemade ice cream to save money from buying ice cream. Yes, ice cream can be homemade, and it is easy. There are many online vlogs, videos, and recipes teaching how to make ice cream. It can also be a good activity for the family if you make ice cream together.

Summer is one of the most awaited seasons of the year. There are many ways we can cut our expenses during summer, which will require small actions from our end, like unplugging our appliances, doing outside activities, and making our food. Let us make more beautiful memories during summer without breaking, compromising, and losing our budget.

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