Most homeowners see a spike in their electric bills every summer. Running the air conditioner to keep a home comfortable consumes a lot of energy. Here is a guide to several green solutions for saving money in summer by reducing your energy usage. Both your wallet and the planet will thank you.

Green Solutions to Reduce Summer Electricity Usage

1. Use Fans

Fans, which keep the air circulating through your home, make your home more comfortable and help your air conditioner work more efficiently. Because they consume so little energy, fans are green solutions for cooling. Using them in rooms where your family tends to congregate lets you raise the thermostat in those rooms by up to 4 degrees without any noticeable change in comfort level.

2. Cover Windows

Sunlight coming through windows gets trapped inside the home as heat, forcing your air conditioner to work harder. Draw window coverings closed to block the sun and keep your house cooler. You won’t lose illumination if you draw drapery only over windows that get direct sunlight, so close the coverings on one side of the house in the morning and on the other in the afternoon.

3. Raise the Thermostat

Attempting to cool a warm home more quickly by cranking the thermostat way down eats up a lot of energy. You’ll save up to 3 percent on your electricity bill for every degree above 72 your thermostat is set, so set is as high as is comfortably possible. Installing a programmable thermostat is another green solution for saving energy. Smart thermostats let you make adjustments to temperatures when your needs for cooling change, as when you go to sleep or leave for vacations.

The residential electricians of Bonham Electric, Inc., specialize in providing year-round green solutions for your home, such as lighting retrofits and electric panel upgrades. They have been serving the residents of Dayton, OH, since 1959 and are Better Business Bureau®-accredited. Visit them online to learn more about their services, or call (937) 233-7662 to schedule a free estimate.