Building Energy Efficient Homes for Hot Summer Months

Building Energy Efficient Homes for Hot Summer Months

August 6, 2018 | No Comments

It gets incredibly hot in many parts of the US during the summer. Just about every summer now you see news about the seasonal temperatures setting new records. That being said, we can’t go around running our air conditioners endlessly and rack up high energy bills and additionally hurting the environment. Let’s take a look at some of the ways that you can make your home more energy efficient for the summer months.

Insulation

You can blast the air conditioning all day, but it won’t do any good if your home isn’t able to retain the cool temperature. Check that your home is adequately insulated. While the insulation in your walls, floors, and ceiling are essential, there is another area where cold air is lost – windows. Windows are often overlooked when it comes to sealing your home correctly. Double pane windows and sealant around the frame is essential to keep your home comfortable.

Harness The Breeze

If your home is positioned correctly on your property, you can use the natural breeze to cool your home. Experiment with your windows during different times of the day to see if you can catch the breeze and feed it through your home.
You can also use a fan to help stir up an artificial breeze. Open windows and fans can help you keep the thermostat at a more efficient temperature.

Cook Outside

Using your stove and oven produce a significant amount of heat in your home. Any appliance that heats uses a lot of electricity. Get a good barbeque and do as much of your cooking as you can outside. There are barbeques now that offer features similar to indoor cooking appliances.

Electronics

Any electronics devices left running in your home are potential sources of heat. Think twice before leaving anything on. Computers, light fixtures, televisions, just about anything can generate heat in your home. With these electronics off, you will save on electricity.

Hot Water Usage

Hot water is one of the most expensive parts of your electricity bill every summer. On average 18% of your electricity bill is the water heater. To lower your utility bill find ways to cut back on your use of hot water. Cutting back on hot water for laundry will do a lot. Washing your hands and brushing your teeth with cold water, and other such methods can help you save between 15 and 50% of your bill.

Use these tips here to help cut down on your electricity costs so that you can afford to run your air conditioning and keep your home cozy. Following these tips will also help to reduce the power and expense of using your air conditioning.

For more information on building an energy efficient home contact Grayson Homes at 919-578-6222.