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17
Summer Savings: How to Achieve Energy Efficiency at Home
While warm days full of sunshine are perfect for making summer memories, they also make it harder for homeowners to control their energy usage. Fortunately, you can make a few changes to boost your home's energy efficiency. Follow these tips from our real estate agents to ensure your home operates as efficiently as possible.
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Utilize Your Window Treatments to Block Out the Summer Heat
While windows are an excellent source of natural light, they're also a potential entry point for hot air. Energy-efficient window coverings, like black-out blinds and curtains, reduce the amount of solar heat that enters your home during the warmer months. If you're concerned about reducing the amount of natural light entering your home, consider only opening window coverings at windows that aren't receiving direct sunlight. -
Remember to Use Your Home's Exhaust Fans and Ceiling Fans
When you're in a room, make sure the ceiling fan is turned on. Though a ceiling fan won't lower the room's temperature, it will help you feel cooler when you're in the room.
Ceiling fans push air in a downward direction so it hits your skin and causes a cooling effect by evaporating sweat and increasing the rate of heat transfer from your body. Worried about remembering to turn a ceiling fan off when you leave the room? Invest in a smart ceiling fan you can control via an app or smart home device. Before you take a shower, take a moment to turn on your bathroom fan. This will lower the heat and humidity in your home. -
Change Your Home's Air Filter Each Month
Regularly changing your home's air filter is one of the easiest things you can do to lower your energy usage. When your air filter is dirty, your HVAC system has to work harder to cool your home. This increases your energy costs and puts unnecessary stress on your HVAC system. An added benefit of regularly changing your air filter is that you'll reduce the amount of dust in your home. If your plans involve listing your property with other South Bend homes for sale, you'll appreciate having a home with minimal dust when it's time for an open house. -
Invest in a Programmable Thermostat
When you aren't at home, it doesn't make sense to keep your home at your preferred temp. Most cooling systems are extremely efficient and can quickly return your home to a comfortable temperature. However, if you want to streamline this process, a programmable thermostat is an excellent solution. You can program the thermostat to increase its set temperature when you leave and decrease the temperature when you're due to arrive home. For optimal savings, set your thermostat between 78 and 80 degrees when nobody is home. -
Try to Minimize Your Oven Usage
Ovens are convenient household appliances, but they can quickly increase your home's temperature, causing you to use more energy to keep your home cool. Instead of using your oven, opt for a toaster oven, air fryer, or Instant Pot. Or, if you have a grill, grilling is an excellent cooking method that won't raise your home's inside temperature.
It only takes a few changes to optimize your home's energy efficiency while minimizing your cooling costs. Interesting in exploring homes better suited to your needs? Contact us to get started.
Note: a subscription to the Do Not Call list does not apply when requesting information from our company.
