SJG Conserve

Don’t Sweat It: Summer Savings with EE

Summer brings higher temperatures and, naturally, increased use of your home’s air conditioning. Combined with inflation and the current price hikes of most consumer goods and services, you could see a spike in your household bills. However, there are simple steps you can take to save money and energy this summer:

• Use a smart or programmable thermostat and set it to use less air conditioning when the house is empty. Check out southjerseygasmarketplace.com (elizabethtowngasmarketplace.com) for discounts and instant rebates on smart thermostats.
• Close window coverings to keep rooms cool.
• Run ceiling fans clockwise to push cool air down, and turn off fans in unoccupied rooms.
• Keep the thermostat at the highest temperature comfortable: 78° F or higher with the fan on “auto” mode.
• Don’t place lamps or TVs near the thermostat – the heat they give off may make the air conditioning work harder.
• Unplug electronics when they’re not in use.
• Replace old lightbulbs with LED lightbulbs that save energy even when the lights are on.
• Use a slow cooker or microwave to cook hot meals.
• Cook outdoors on a grill to keep heat out of the kitchen.
• Avoid leaving the refrigerator or freezer door open for too long.
• Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher’s drying cycle.
• Lower the temperature on your water heater – water heaters are often set to a default 140 degrees, but dialing down to 120 degrees could save up to 10% on water heating costs.
• Run the clothes dryer at night to keep the house cooler during the day.
• Replace heater and air conditioner filters once a month.
• Seal any air gaps, cracks or leaks around doors and windows.