S/O AC: How to reduce costs and stay cool this summer

Patineuse1124

Xan's post got me thinking on how to stay cool this summer without a crazy high electric bill from the AC.  I was curious if anybody had any stay cool tricks.  Here are some of mine:

- Use fans instead of AC when possible as they use a lot less electric.  I have this great window fan that I can put in at night and it sucks in the cool air.  It also has a thermostat and automatically shuts off it gets to the temp I specify (so I don't wake up in middle of night freezing).  Circulating the air makes a big difference.

- Close drapes/blinds during the day to block out the heat from the sun

- If you are using AC make sure to check the filter and change if needed 

- Avoid using the stove.  Use microwave, crockpot, grill, or eat stuff that does not need to be cooked. 

Tisharp

We do all of these things, with the exception of the window fan.  Because we only have like 2 windows in our whole house that actually open.  (Old house, needs new windows)

I do run fans all night though, in the room.  I need 1 for the noise (floor fan) and one for the actual air circulation (ceiling fan).

And I totally use my crockpot a lot in the summer.  It's SO MUCH nicer than using the hot stove, after a long hot ride home from work.

Xan921

These are all great tips.

Your fan sounds really cool!  If we know it's going to be cooler that night then we'll often turn the AC off and use fans as well.  We also keep our blinds/curtains shut during the day while we aren't there.  I always feel bad essentially leaving the cats in the dark but they sleep all day anyway and if they want they can wiggle on the other side of the curtains for 'sun bathing'.  While we still use our stove top, we rarely use the oven, even when it's not warm outside.  We have a toaster oven and cook everything that will fit in that.  We feel like it cooks better and it costs 50% less to use than the actual oven.

This isn't about keeping cool but while I was on hold with our electric company they had little 'helpful hints' playing instead of music and one of them said that leaving acomputer pc plugged in all day, even when on sleep mood, can add up to $7/mo onto your electric bill (lap tops were a lot less).  So turn off those PC's when you aren't using them. 

 

MC22

I'm so jealous it gets cool enough at night for you guys to leave your windows open.  In Houston, it is soooo hot and humid, even at night, that's not an option.  So our a/c runs all day and night (well, it's on auto, so it runs when it needs to run).

We only have five small windows in our house, and none let in very much light, so we're lucky there. 

Another thought is making sure your windows and doors are sealed well, and replace weather stripping if/when necessary.  Also, doors warp over time, especially if they get direct sun on them, so replacing those if necessary would help as well.  We need to do this.

Xan, good point about electronics being plugged in.  I heard something similiar (can't remember the dollar amount) for leaving your printer on.

Patineuse1124

In case you're curious, it's a Bionaire fan.  Xan, good point on the computer thing.  Mac's use less energy in sleep mode then PCs.  Also unplugging things when not in use also saves electricity.  I've been trying to unplug things like phone charger, toaster, keurig, etc when not in use.

StaceB2010

we got the energy saving drapes in both the living room and our bed room, to keep the heat out. they have helped a lot we also have out ac on auto so it only runs when it has too. it's way to hot to have the windows open even at night, we do keep a fan going in our bed room all the time so we don't have to turn the cooler down any lower, we keep it set at about 74. 

 

hutchsl

Another Houston area one here -

• We put solar screens on the windows that get the worst sun. This helps a lot.
• Also put a solar powered attic fan in and extra vents so the attic can cool off as much as possible.
• Changed our light bulbs for CFL.
• Have the ac on a programmable thermostat.
• Use ceiling fans and DH has a small fan by the bed for when he sleeps.
• Grill instead of using the stove and oven.

hz80408

We try to unplug all electrics we're not using year round.  Big items we do if we'll be gone for a wknd or longer (TV, lamps)...but things like toaster, coffee pot, fan, computer, laptop are only plugged in when in use (DH drives me boinkers by leaving phone chargers plugged in when he's not using them).

-Programmable thermostat is huge.  If you don't have a timed settings (we don't); we turn it up while we'll gone during the day and back down when we get home at home.

-Ha, and I love Karen's fan usage suggestion!!  DH and I actually had an argument about the cost to leave a single fan plugged in and running/on overnight....being the engineer that I am, I talked to my boss about energy usage and we calculated that to have our fan on everynight when we're sleeping is ~$0.07 a night (7 cents a night!)

hz80408

Oh, and also I forgot; they make special power cords that are lower energy usage.

Here's some tips I've saved from our local electric provider (a lot of them you smart ladies have already hit on):

1. Turn off the lights whenever you leave a room.
2. Keep your home at 78 degrees in the summer, or at the warmest temperature that is comfortable for you.
3. When leaving home for more than 4 hours, raise the thermostat 5 to 10 degrees in summer and lower it 5 to 10 degrees in winter. Do the same at night before going to bed.
4. Close south-, east-, and west-facing curtains during the day to keep out solar heat during the summer.
5. Clean the coils at the back of your refrigerator twice a year.
6. Only heat and cool rooms you use; close vents and doors to rooms that are not being used.
7. Keep windows closed and shades down when air conditioning is on.
8. Check and clean air conditioning filters monthly and replace as needed.
9. Unplug electric chargers, televisions, and audio/video equipment when not in use (or plug them into a power strip you can turn off and on). These devices use electricity even when they are not in use.
10. Turn off your computer or put it in ?sleep? mode when it is not being used.
11. Run energy-intensive appliances such as the dishwasher and clothes washer at night. The heat produced by these appliances will not need to be offset by your air conditioner during the day. Wait until you have a full load to run the dishwasher and clothes washer, and use cold water when possible.
12. Keep lamps and televisions away from the thermostat. The heat they generate will cause your air conditioner to work harder. If you?re running an old refrigerator in your basement that isn?t being used, unplug it. Old refrigerators can use three times the electricity of modern ones.

Eight low cost tips

1. When you?re out of your house (and at night, when you?re asleep), use a programmable thermostat to automatically raise the temperature 5 to 10 degrees in summer and lower it 5 to 10 degrees in winter.
2. Install weather stripping on all doors and windows.
3. Replace incandescent light bulbs with ENERGY STAR?-qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). They?re relatively cheap, use about 75% less energy, and typically last ten times longer. Replacing a 60-watt incandescent bulb with a 13-watt ENERGY STAR?-qualified equivalent CFL could save you, on average, $43 over the life of the bulb.
4. Install electric timers on exterior lighting, small appliances, and room air conditioners.
5. Add dimmers or occupancy sensors to your home?s lighting system.
6. If you have any exposed ductwork in your house, seal all joints with a caulk, such as mastic. If you don?t, heating (and cooling) could escape before getting where it?s supposed to go.
7. If you have less than 6 to 10 inches of insulation in your attic, you probably need more.
8. Consider installing low-flow showerheads and sink aerators to reduce hot water use. When buying new appliances, lights, electronics or other products, look for the ENERGY STAR? label

christieep

One thing we do with the air conditioning that helps a lot is we shut the vents on the first floor of the house so that the upstairs can cool off.  This helps cool the upstairs without turning the temp on the air conditioning really low.  The first floor still stays plenty cool too.

I also read once that of all of the appliances we typically leaved plugged in (computers, tvs, alarm clocks, etc) the one that costs the most is a DVR.  Unfortunately the purpose of a DVR is to always be on standby to record your shows, so its one you can't really unplug.

hutchsl

The pp reminded me we also close off vents to the guest rooms, office, dining room and guest bath. It is just the two of us. Also keep your ac filter clean that helps reduce energy costs.

When I am camping I always shower before bed to wash off the sweat, etc. It helps your skin breathe and feels cooler.

Nukke

great suggestions!  I'm going to add one more thing on how to stay cool:

In university, I waitressed and bartended for a few years including the hot summer months.  I'd come home with puffy hot feet and used to put them into a little bucket of cold water--ankle deep--with either bath salts or bubble bath in there.  I found that it not only cooled off my feet, but my entire body!  You know how warm it makes you feel in the winter when you pop your feet into warm water, well the opposite works in the summer too.  When I'm really hot, I grab some towels and put them beside the bucket, plop my feet in and sit back and watch tv.  Instant cool and very cheap!