If your financial stress tends to rocket along with your summer energy bill, we’ve got seven easy ways to beat the heat, save energy, and keep your wallet fat, courtesy of consumer savings expert Andrea Woroch.
If your financial stress tends to rocket along with your summer energy bill, we’ve got seven easy ways to beat the heat, save energy, and keep your wallet fat, courtesy of consumer savings expert Andrea Woroch.
Energy and money saving tips
Andrea Woroch is an established consumer savings expert who doesn’t just want you to save money, she wants you to live on less without radically changing your lifestyle. She has appeared on The Today Show, ABC News NOW, NBC Nightly News, FOX, MSNBC, CW and has been quoted in SmartMoney.com, Kiplinger Personal Finance and many others. You can find more stress-busting money-saving tips at www.AndreaWoroch.com. Here are seven of Woroch’s top tips for saving energy and money this summer.
1. Go window shopping
When the weather hits over 90 degrees and it’s too hot to be outdoors, leave your credit card at home and head to an air-conditioned mall. After a few laps around the perimeter, you’ll have gotten some exercise while catching up on the latest fashions.
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2. Get out of the house
Turn off the air conditioning, the TV and all those electricity hogs and enjoy some time in the great outdoors. If your kids spend their summer vacations playing video games, they’re sucking up a lot of energy without expending any of their own. Sign them up for sports leagues, summer camps and other activities outside the home. While you’re at it, hit the beach, trails, or campgrounds.
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3. Turn off power strips
Even if you’ve turned off the television, computer and other power vampires, those power strips are still sucking you dry. The same goes for rechargers, which may seem benign when not hooked up to your cell phone. The fact is, they’re still drawing electricity when not in use, so flip that switch. According to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the standby power of unused appliances usually accounts for five to 10 percent of residential electricity costs.
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4. Power off electronics
Running a computer and monitor 24/7 uses about 1,100 kilowatt hours annually, or roughly $100 a year. Save 60 percent to 80 percent by putting your computer in power-saving mode or turning it off completely.
5. Use powerless appliances
Use an old-fashioned can opener instead of that space-hogging electrical opener, clean rugs with a carpet sweeper instead of a vacuum, and dry laundry on a clothes line or rack instead of a power-hungry dryer (washers and dryers are 19 percent of your energy bill). In general, consider how you can replace miniature power users with powerless appliances.
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6. Shut the curtains
Turn off or turn down an air conditioner by keeping windows covered during the day. You’ll minimize sun exposure while maximizing the cooler night air.
7. Use a programmable thermostat
Give your air conditioning system a break when no one is in the house. According to Energy Star, increasing a house’s temperature during these hours by pre-programming a thermostat cuts the average household’s electric bill by $180 a year. That’s because heating and cooling systems are 45 percent of your monthly energy bill. In addition, clean those A/C filters so your unit runs more efficiently, cuts down allergens, and improves your indoor air quality.
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