Are you scared of opening up your electricity bill in the summer? If you’re like a lot of US residents and rely on air conditioners to keep you cool during the summer, the corresponding increase in your utility bill can be scary. But keeping it cool in the summer doesn’t mean you need to empty your bank account. There are many things you can do to promote energy efficiency and summer comfort in your home.
Look at the big picture
Let’s start by exploring how energy is used in the average home. According to 2021 US Energy Information Agency (EIA), heating and cooling homes account for the largest proportion of energy consumption in the residential sector. Some of the other major home energy uses are categorized in the EIA chart below. 2024 Data collection is underway. At the time of writing, EIA reports 51% of US homes rely on natural gas for their main heating sources, while 25% of homes are reported to be all electrical, making it the most sustainable approach when the energy source is renewable rather than fossil fuels. When extreme heat rises, 89% of households have been reported using air conditioning.
What do you know about energy use in your home? Some utilities have programs that show real-time home energy usage. Understanding how your home uses energy can help you increase your efficiency. New York Times Provides a handy guide How each state generates power. Check if your local utilities burn coal, a source of CO2 emissions, or if they rely on renewable resources such as wind and hydroelectric power generation. It helps you understand how changing electricity usage can improve your environment. In addition to the growth of renewable power generation, which reached TK% of total electricity consumption in 2024, the US saw it The first new nuclear power plant will open in 2023 After decades of anti-nuclear sentiment. Nuclear explains the present 18% of US power generationrenewable energy from solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and hydroelectric dams continues to grow to 21% by 2023.
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Cover the summer sun
I have it Window Treatment Blocking the summer sun can save you energy. Use window treatments that will help you to directly sun in the summer and keep your home cool. This is especially useful for east, west and south facing windows (in the Northern Hemisphere).
Use the fan and lower the AC
Keep your air conditioner low or off whenever possible. If nighttime temperatures are soaked in your area, turn off the air conditioning at night if possible. If the fan does the trick, turn off the cooling system to save energy. because fan Help circulate the air, they will make it feel cool at home. When you’re not in the room, make sure to turn them off unless you’re using them to paint cooler outside air.
Lines dry laundry
A dry laundry line not only helps reduce energy bills in the summer, but also extends the life of your clothes. The air dryness is gentle on the clothes and the dirt does not sink much.
Use power strips for electronic devices
Home office equipment and entertainment centers can pull out the trickle of electricity when they are in standby mode, even if these gadgets are not in use. Place these items in a Power strip Turn off the strip when not in use.
Install water-saving plumbing equipment and home appliances
In many cases, water conservation and water heating are held hand in hand. If you can reduce the amount of water flowing from the shower, you can save energy by heating less water. Install a Saving Shower Headyou can use just 1.5 gallons per minute while taking a shower. putting Aerator In your sink, the faucet can limit the flow of water to just 0.5 gallons of water per minute. These changes lead to significant energy and water savings.
There is Front Loading Washer It uses one third of the water, energy and detergent from the top loading washer. Energy-saving dishwasher also uses significantly less water and energy than washing dishes by hand.
Replace inefficient light bulbs
If you have an incandescent or halogen bulb, replace it with an LED bulb. Inefficient light bulbs produce heat in addition to wasted energy from light. This is especially useless when you want to keep your home cool.
There is no shortage of good ideas and no monopoly on energy smarts. If you’re looking for ways to reduce energy use in the summer, check out these great suggestions aarp, Nald Warett, Better Houses and Gardensand This old house.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on May 22, 2019, and was updated in March 2025.
