With summer officially here and the temperatures rising many people expect their electricity bill to do the same during the summer months. With your air conditioner on high, making your home the arctic zone, you can almost guarantee that your air conditioner is responsible for almost half of your electric bill. Here are some easy ways to cut your electric bill in half this summer so you can stay cool and still have money left over.

Black Out Blinds

Hanging heavy drapes or black out blinds in front of your windows in the summer will not only keep the hot air and sun rays out, it also helps to keep the air conditioned cool air in. It’s a great way to stop the glaring sun from heating up every room in your home.

Efficient AC

If you’re really trying to crunch the numbers this summer, limit the use of your air conditioner. Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean keep turning it off and on, doing that will unfortunately cause your bill to rise even higher. Every time you turn off your AC, the temperature in your house will rise again, and when you turn the ac back on it will have to work twice as hard to cool your house down. Keep your ac set at a reasonable temperature like 71 degrees. The lower you go the more you are going to have to pay.

Fans

Fans are an excellent way to help keep us cool. Remember, fans cool people by creating a wind chill, they don’t rooms. Well placed fans can help keep the air circulating throughout your home and help it keep cool, not like a sweltering sauna. Ceiling Fans are a great investment in the bedrooms to help keep the air moving while you sleep.

Open the Windows

One of the great things about night time in the summer is that it normally cools off. To save you some money, turn off your ac and open up your windows to let the cool air in while you sleep. When you wake up in the morning shut the windows and blinds to keep the cool air in.

Lights and Appliances Off

On extremely hot days, avoid using the oven. Use alternatives like the stove top, BBQ, or microwave oven. Try and keep your home cool as possible by not turning on the lights if possible. Purchase LED Energy star lighting products, they are much more efficient than the traditional incandescent bulbs. 90% of the energy from traditional bulbs is given off as heat which will result in a temperature increase in your home.

Saving money on your electric bill can be fairly easy if you know where to start. The above are some simple, cost-effective ways to reduce your energy use during those hot summer months.