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How to Save on Cooling Costs This Summer!
![Cori Warner](https://cdn-fastly.hometalk.com/media/profile/2021/08/22/201748_1.jpg?size=91x91)
by
Cori Warner
(IC: blogger)
I love Summertime, when all the grass is green, the trees are lush, and all the flowers in my garden are growing and blooming. I like feeling the sun on my skin when I’m swimming or just puttering around the yard. I also LOVE my air conditioner! Nothing feels better than coming into a cool house on a hot, hot day.
But there is a price to pay for all that cooling, oh yes, there is: ridiculous electric bills.But there is a way to help minimize these costs to an extent. Find out when electricity is cheapest, and use it then, while trying to reduce your usage during peak demand hours. Yup, energy cost changes BY THE HOUR in most places, and we pay the most when demand is highest.
The smartest move we made to save energy was to purchase a programmable thermostat. So we can keep the AC use to a minimum when no one is home. It is also set to “pre-cool” the house just before peak hours, so it is less likely to run and cost us money when electricity cost is highest. Even if you have to pay out of pocket for a programmable thermostat, it’s well worth it; average savings is 5-10% of your bill.
Along with sealing doors and windows, we also sealed the outlets in our house. If your home is on a slab, then you only need to do the exterior walls, where cold air might seep in. If you have a crawlspace or unfinished basement, then arguably, you should consider doing the interior outlets as well. This is super simple: take the outlet cover off, put the appropriate foam insulator-thingy on, and then put the outlet cover back on. When you put the cover on, it compresses the foam and makes a tight seal. Presto, your house is now a teensy bit more airtight.
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![Cori Warner](https://cdn-fastly.hometalk.com/media/profile/2021/08/22/201748_1.jpg?size=91x91)
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Published July 29th, 2014 12:00 PM
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Miriam Illions on Jul 29, 2014
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