5 Ways to Reduce Your Northern Virginia Energy Bills This Summer ...

This summer has seen record-breaking heat across the nation. Keeping your Northern Virginia home cool during heat waves uses lots of energy. Even if you don?t live someplace where the temperature reaches triple digits, it?s easy to increase your utility costs by using too much energy during the summer. You?wouldn?t?leave the door wide open in January for the same reason you shouldn?t do it in July- it wastes energy and money. Implementing these five changes around your home will make it more energy efficient and keep you cool for less.

Block Direct Sunlight

Sunlight streaming through your windows acts like an invisible heater. The more heat inside your home, the more energy your air conditioner has to use to keep it cool. Install high-quality, opaque window?blinds. By keeping them closed during the day, you?ll prevent sunlight from heating up your home. At night, if the temperature drops low enough, you can open the blinds and windows at night to let cool air circulate. Be sure to close them again by early morning, before it gets hot and sunny.

Seal Up the Leaks

Drafty doorways and older?windows?in Northern Virginia?let the cool air inside escape and hot air sneak in. More hot air forces your air conditioner to increase output, boosting your energy bills. Place weather strips around your windows and doors to keep the cool air inside.

Address any minor holes or gaps that open your home to the outside with caulk. Energy bleeds from small openings can add up quickly! If your windows are especially drafty, try taping weather film over all your window frames. The film acts like a virtual seal that prevents cool air from escaping and keeps hot air from entering.

Optimize Your Fans

When used incorrectly, a fan can actually draw hot air inside your home. How you?use your fans?determines whether you reduce or increase your energy use during the summer. If you don?t have central air, or want to rely less on air conditioning place the fan in your open window at night and close your windows in the morning. This traps the cool air inside your house and reduces the need for air conditioning.

If you run fans during the daytime you should blow air outside, otherwise they?re just blowing hot air into your house and raising the overall temperature. Kitchen and bathroom fans reduce the cool air, so don?t run them unless absolutely necessary.

Make Shade

The shade can be 10 to 15 degrees cooler than the sun, so why not take advantage and make more of it Install awnings over your windows. Keeping your windows shaded can reduce your energy up to 5 percent. Plant heavy bushes or shrubs near the sunniest parts of your home where the sun is strongest. Place any window air conditioning units in shady spots. A unit broiling under the sun needs more energy to produce cool air.

Eliminate Wasteful Energy Use

Electrical appliances continue using energy even when powered off so use your appliances efficiently. Unplug microwaves, lamps, computers, and other like devices when they are not in use.?Program your thermostat?with different settings for home, asleep, or away.

Set the washing machine to ?cold rinse? and line dry your clothing. Just those two laundry-related steps can save you 10 percent on your total energy use. Keep your refrigerator and freezer full for the most efficient operation and stop using a second garage or basement fridge.

Hopefully by implementing a few of these simple tips you can save big this summer!

Source: http://www.professionalremodelinggroup.com/blog/reduce-energy-bills/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=reduce-energy-bills

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