Summer is going to be here soon, and believe it or not, it's going to get HOT here in Texas and that means it's time to look at your Texas electricity bill! Keeping your home cool costs energy as well as money, and here are a few things you can do in the span of a weekend to help keep your home cooler during the dog days of summer.
Follow these 3 tips and you are guaranteed to save big bucks on your summer electric bill.
1. Buy sun blocking blinds. The rays of the sun travel through the glass in your window, and they will heat your home no matter what time of the year it is. These rays will also pass through cloth curtain and Venetian blinds. In the winter, the sun shining through a window will cut down on your heating costs, but in the summer it can make your home miserably hot. Sun blocking blinds are inexpensive and easy to install, and they do a marvelous job of blocking out the suns rays. If you have curtains, the sun blocking blinds can be installed to hang underneath them. When you close these blinds during the times when the angle of the sun is at it's highest, you will be amazed at how much cooler your home will be and how much less energy you will need to use.
2. Caulk your Windows.
The cool air you pump into your home, be it from central air or window air conditioners, will find air passageways in your home and escape. The biggest places it escapes from are doors and windows. By caulking your windows you are closing off an avenue of escape. Caulk is very inexpensive to buy, and if you aren't using it you are just throwing money away.
3. Add insulation to your attic or basement.
Another way to stop air from escaping from your home. The cooler air that is coming from your cooling system will leak through any cracks that exist in your floor and ceiling, no matter how small they are. As the cool air escapes through your ceiling or to your basement underneath your house, slightly warmer air rushes in to take it's place, and thus you will use more energy to cool your air. When you have insulation in your attic or basement, the cool air can't escape as easily and warmer can't come in. You will use less energy to cool your home if you do this because the laws of science say that you must!
In each one of these cases, the amount of money you spend versus the amount of money you save in energy costs will put you at a plus every single time. I nstalling blinds, caulking your windows, and adding insulation are all things that can be done in a single weekend, and in some cases a single day. There is no reason not to do them, and there are some very good reasons for doing them.
Save money on your Texas electricity costs this summer by making these changes and switching to a lower electric rate.
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