5 Ways You Can Lower Your Utility Bills This Summer

Excerpted from : thegoodhuman.com

May 01st, 2013

The easiest way to increase the amount of spare cash you have each month is by simply spending less. Now we can all cut down on our luxury items, or spend less on going for days out or meals with friends. But wouldn’t it be much better to cut down on the cost of your utility bills instead? Here are five ways you can lower your utility bills this summer.

1. Utilize Rain Barrels

Collecting rainwater from your roof and using it to water your garden will slash the amount of water consumption your household uses during the hot summer months. During the growing season, homeowners can save around 1,300 gallons of water, which adds up to a large amount on the water bill. Just half an inch of water is often enough to fill a 50-gallon rain barrel. If you install a few of these barrels, you may not need to turn the main tap on all year.

2. Plant Trees in Your Garden
Planting trees to the south and west of your house can lower energy consumption by around 5% in the summertime due to the shade it provided on the house. The bigger the trees the better, as they provide more shade for the house.

3. Use Solar Shades

If your home has lots of south-facing windows, the solar energy entering your home could be dramatically heating the property and costing you money to try and keep it cool again. Solar shades are a low-cost, effective way to reduce the amount of heat entering your home, and this will dramatically lower your electricity bill as you will not have to use fans or air conditioning nearly as much.

4. Keep it Clean

If you’re using an air conditioning unit, it’s essential that you carry out a monthly maintenance routine in order to keep the filters clean and the system working efficiently. A blocked filter can cost you money as the machine is not working as effectively as it could. Also, keeping your house clean tidy, and clutter free will increase the airflow around the property which also helps to lower the cost of cooling.

5. Alter Your Diet

During the summer months when you spend all day trying to keep the house cool, putting the oven on for hours at a time to cook your dinner or bake a cake is simply counter-productive. This can cause a huge temperature rise in your home and will cost more money to keep the temperature low during this time. Either cut down on your oven use and eat more salads and cool foods, or shut the kitchen door so that you are only heating one room.
Each of these simple steps may only make a small difference to the cost of your utility bills over the summer. If you make a lot of new habits over the coming months, trying to reduce energy consumption in lots of different ways, you will notice the reduction in your bills.

Find money saving and eco-friendly building and cleaning solutions at World Class Supply !