Tips to Keep Your Home Energy Costs Down this Summer

As the hot summer temperatures rises, so can your home's energy consumption and bill costs. Being energy conscience can help save you money and is good for the environment! Here are a few steps that you can take to help limit the amount of energy you use during the summer months.

1. Unplug nonessential appliances - This is especially true for when you go on vacation. Unplug the nonessential appliances like lamps and other items. If you are going on vacation for more than 2 days and your house will be empty, turning off and unplugging the air conditioning is a good idea as well.  
2. Limit house light use and go outside - One of the perks of summer is that it usually means there is sunshine. Enjoy the sunshine by going outside and reading a book. Using the light outside can also save you from unnecessarily turning on lights indoors during the day. 
3. Change air conditioning filters regularly - The more the air has to push to flow through, the more energy it's using.  Change your filters in your air conditioner monthly and it will improve its efficiency!
4. Keep cool with curtains - Sunshine can be great lighting, but if you're trying to keep cool indoors it can be an obstacle. Adding some dark colored curtains to a room can help block out the sunlight and heat from it. 
5. Update household appliances - Some household appliances like washers, dryers and refrigerators are power suckers. If any of your household appliances are 10 or more years old it is time to upgrade to a new model. The amount you spend on a new appliance can be made up with the amount of energy you conserve. Look for the Energy Efficiency Rating (EER) of appliances to gauge their effectiveness.