How to Particpate in Electricity Conservation this Summer

With all of the concern over energy and the rising costs of it, electricity conservation should be foremost on most people's minds going in to this summer season. Generally, during the summer months, power bills tend to skyrocket as fast as the air conditioner dials are turned up. During the warmer weather, it is easy to forget about the benefits of energy conservation as folks tend to be busy staying cool and doing more activities than normal. However, there a few very simple steps one can take towards electricity conservation and save a few dollars on their power bill.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. 
   Photo by: Rob Krause

   Open it up. Early in the day, go around the house and open up all the doors and windows. It's best if they are not directly facing the sun. If they are, keep the curtains closed and wait to open those windows until the sun has moved out of direct range of those windows. Having as many doors and windows open early in the day will help keep cool air circulating throughout the house.

2. Shed your clothes. When temperatures start to rise, most people automatically reach for the thermostat to turn up the air conditioner. Air conditioning is where most of your hard earned money is sucked out of you during the summer. When it comes to electricity conservation, the air conditioner is the number one offender. Dress cooler, if need be, but leave that air conditioner off.

3. 
   Phot by: Robbie Owen-Wahl

   Grill it. Everyone loves a good barbecue meal. Even if you are a vegetarian, there are wonderful vegan recipes for grilling. By cooking outside, you are benefiting in a couple of different ways. You are helping to keep the house cool, but not using the stove, which can heat up a home fast. You are also not using the energy for the stove. As an added benefit, you are outside enjoying the fresh air.

4. 
   Photo by: Andras Deak

   Stock the fridge. The refrigerator can be a major area where you can practice electricity conservation. When the refrigerator is mostly empty, it has to work harder to keep the things inside it cool. This means it is using more power. You don't need to go spend a ton of money on groceries that need to be kept cool. Simply clean old milk jugs thoroughly and fill them with water. Keep them in the fridge. Your appliance will not have to work as hard to keep things cool and everyone will enjoy the refreshing cold water.

5. 
   Photo by: Fleur Suijten

   Take cooler showers. Since the weather is much warmer during the summer, you can take advantage of the higher temperatures to relax in a cooler shower. A cooler shower means that you are using less hot water. The hot water heater will not have to consume as much energy to reheat water for the next time. This is a wonderful way to practice electricity conservation and help stay cool throughout the day.

Tips & Warnings

• If you simply must have your air conditioner running, you can still practice electricity conservation by keeping the thermostat set to no lower than 80 degrees.
• If you feel safe enough, leave your windows open all night to let the cool night air in and kick start the coolness for the next day.
• To dress cooler, choose light, loose fitting clothing.

Resources

• eHow Home and Garden Topic Guide
• The Complete Guide to Reducing Energy Costs
• THE LIVING SERIES: Energy + Conservation for a Greener Home

[lijandra]

on 6/2/2009 I agree, conserving electricity is good all around - saves money too.

[Wasatch]

on 5/28/2009 We all need to conserve energy for many reasons. Our pocket book being a big reason.