InTucker Magazine

Builder’s Corner

Warm Weather Energy Savings

The weather has been unpredictable so far in 2017. A warmer than normal January and February gave way to a brutal cold snap in mid-March. With all that volatility, one thing’s for sure: warmer weather is coming. Spring, summer and the high temperatures they bring increase electrical loads. Keep cool and save energy costs by following these simple tips around the house.

Warm Weather Cooling Tips

• Turn off unnecessary lights. Much of the energy from a light bulb is heat.
• Replace incandescent bulbs with CFL and LED bulbs.
• Make sure furniture or drapes do not block your registers for supply and return air.
• Wear thin, loosely fitting clothes and you may not have to keep room temperatures as cool.
• Close blinds, shades or curtains during the hottest part of the day.
• On mild days, open windows for natural ventilation and turn the air conditioning off.
• Use portable or ceiling fans. Run ceiling fans counterclockwise. Mild air movement of 1 MPH can make you feel 3 to 4 degrees cooler.
• Apply sun-control or other reflective films on south-facing windows.

Cooking

• Cook on your outdoor grill. The stove/oven can raise the kitchen temperature 5 to 10 degrees.
• Use a microwave instead of a conventional oven to save money and keep your kitchen cooler.
• Move a spare refrigerator out of the garage to a basement or spare room; the unit won’t have to work as hard to keep food cold.

Household Chores

• Do heat- and moisture-producing jobs such as cooking, cleaning, ironing and laundry during the cooler early morning and evening hours.
• Air-dry dishes instead of using the dishwasher’s heat drying cycle.
• Avoid unnecessary trips in and out of the house, especially on very hot days. Heat and humidity come in each time you open the door.