Keeping the Electric Bills Down

As the summer heats up across the nation, there are more and more homeowners who are realizing that the rising heat is directly adding to their electricity bills.  While some may think of energy conservation and cutting utility bill costs is a winter time issue, the truth is that running that wonderfully cooling air conditioning unit may hike up the monthly electric bill past those number one may see during the winter.

So how can a homeowner stay cool in their home without running up the air conditioning costs?  Well, the first answer to that question is to ensure that the home is properly insulated.

Just as with the cold weather of winter, the hot weather of summer can be best avoided through proper insulation.  If a home is well insulated then the cool air that is inside the home can be trapped within the home and instantly lower cooling costs for the homeowner.

After insulating the home (by securing door jams and window frames from leaking, just for starters) a homeowner can take a few other practical steps to beat the heat this summer.  An underused method to stay cool inside the home is to simply dress for the heat.

After returning from school or work, each member of the family should slip into their summer apparel of t shirts, shorts, flip flops, and the like.  Making sure that the windows that face the sun have their curtains or shades drawn is another way to stop the home from heating from within.

Additional ideas include avoiding turning on appliances that heat the home like the stove, oven, and even the lights in a room.  By being inventive, ensuring the home is well-insulated, and that those things that can heat the home from within are switched off, a family will have a cooler summer with lowered electricity costs.