Summertime Sunshine Rises on a New Power Bill

With summer rapidly approaching temperatures are on the rise! Rising temperatures not only mean fun in the sun but rising energy bills. Because of the warmer temperatures, overall energy use rises across the country. No one is safe from this rise as it’s simply a fact of life. Homes and businesses across the country see a spike in their power bills during June, July, and August. Some parts of the country notice a spike as soon as May and as late as October depending on the region. The average household spends about $426.00 a month on energy during those peak months! These higher energy bills don’t only apply to homes, businesses are at the mercy of summer price spikes too – even more so than households. In fact, no business is safe from rising energy bills. Imagine your home is 2,500 square feet. Now, imagine your business building is 10,000 square feet. See where I’m going with this?

[Source – https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=35812]

Imagine there’s something you can do to help combat those rising summer energy bills. There are some tips and tricks that can be used to manage those expensive bills:

• Tracking Your Energy Usage
• Conserve and Reserve Energy During the Day
• Energy Efficiency Controls Upgrade
• Reduce Air Leaks
• Maximize Insulation
• Ensuring HVAC System is in Optimal Working Condition
• Install Solar
• Updating All Appliances to Energy Efficient Models
• Set Strict Timing for HVAC – No Need to Cool an Empty House

Although the methods listed above can effectively help reduce summer energy bills, some are more helpful than others. Scheduling a skilled professional to come out and perform an HVAC tune up to ensure your system is in proper working condition, is one of the best steps to take when the summer heat creeps in. Although updating appliances sounds expensive and daunting, it can really pay off in the long run. Energy efficient appliances run on the minimum amount of energy required to complete their task and can help save up to 30% on energy bills.

Does anyone remember the movie “Smart House”? It came out in 1999 and starred the woman from Married with Children, Katey Sagal. In case you missed it, let me fill you in. A teenager and his family win an entirely computerized smart home. Cool, right? Now the twist comes when the house starts to develop a ‘mind’ of its own. Seriously, the house goes bonkers, takes control, and locks the entire family indoors forever…. Don’t worry, I promise I have a point here.

Don’t fret. An energy efficient controls upgrade isn’t going to take over your home and lock you in preventing ever seeing the outside world again. However, an energy efficiency upgrade can help you control your home or business regarding power bills. By being able to control your entire building from lighting to air conditioning you now have the power to manage your energy bills. By doing this type of upgrade you can have your very own version of a Smart House, in a much less scary and manageable way!