10 Good Ways to Lower Your Summer Energy Bills

Do you pay too much for electricity? If you’re like me, you already take steps to conserve energy – but the bills keep rising. How can you lower your summer energy bills without sacrificing comfort?

Summertime means higher temperatures and humidity levels, and this can translate into higher-than-usual energy bills. This summer, inflation is also “hot and sticky,” and this can impact electricity prices.

While you can’t control the weather or inflation, you can do things to conserve energy and save money. Today, we’ll look at 10 ways to lower your summer energy bills, even in the hottest months of the year.

Let’s get started.

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Welcome to the Dog Days of Summer

Last week, I opened our electricity bill and winced. It was much higher than our typical bills, which are pretty reasonable for our small apartment home. Even in Florida.

Welcome to the dog days of summer!

{ Update: Our new house has energy-efficient windows and appliances, which have reduced our electricity bills. But that doesn’t mean we’ve stopped looking for ways to save money. Household savings are always good. }

The dictionary defines dog days as the time “between early July and early September, when the hot, sultry [summer months] occur in the Northern Hemisphere.”

Did you know cooling your home accounts for 50% to 70% of your summer energy use? Thankfully, there are ways to stay cool AND save money.

Here are 10 of them.

How to Cut Your Summer Energy Bills

The dog days may bite your wallet, but they don’t have to bust your budget. You can save energy, cut electricity costs, and still have a comfortable home.

Here are 10 ways to lower your summer energy bills without sacrificing comfort.

1. Raise the Thermostat

Your air conditioner plays a HUGE role in summer energy costs. To save money this summer, set your thermostat to 78 degrees when you’re at home, and somewhat higher when you’re away.

“For every degree you increase your thermostat, you can save about 5% on your monthly cooling costs,” said Duke Energy. Five percent may not seem like a lot, but every dollar counts.

Is 78 degrees too warm for comfort? Use house fans to move the cool air through your home. And drink more water. Not only does water cool you down, it also improves your health.

2. Program the Thermostat

A programmable thermostat changes your temperature settings at predetermined times. For example, you can set it to change the temperature when you leave for work, return home, and go to bed.

We swapped the standard apartment thermostat for an inexpensive Honeywell model from Walmart. But there are models with all kinds of extras online.

Some thermostats have smart features like touch screens and wireless remote access. If you’re willing to spend more for these features, this WiFi thermostat is one to consider.

Some power companies provide FREE programmable thermostats for their residential customers. For example, CPS Energy installs smart thermostats for qualified customers. Contact your electric company to see if you qualify for a free model.

3. Change the Filters

Clean or replace your air filter at least once a month. A dirty filter puts a strain on your cooling system, causing it to run harder and longer. Not only does this increase your energy bill, but it also shortens the life of your air conditioner.

The maintenance staff changes the filter in our apartment unit, but we don’t have to wait for him. I usually request a new filter when I make a monthly rent payment. Whether you rent or own your home, don’t overlook this easy way to cut your summer energy bills.

{ Update: We replace the filters in our home every three months. A large one in the living room and a small one in our bedroom. Click here to shop for 90-day filtration filters. }

4. Turn On the Fans

Attic and ceiling fans are good supplements to your home’s air conditioning. They circulate the air and make your home feel cooler, so the thermostat can stay at a higher setting.

Our new house has five rooms (plus a screened-in lanai) that are pre-wired for ceiling fans. We’re shopping for the perfect models.

This bladeless ceiling fan is also a light fixture. It’s too modern for our décor, but it looks interesting. What do YOU think?

We use fans all summer long and rarely set the thermostat below 78 degrees. It feels pleasant indoors, even for me.

When it gets too warm for comfort, I turn on my tower fan. It’s a lifesaver when my “personal thermostat” is out of whack. Oh, the joys of midlife!

5. Turn Off the Electronics

Turn off your electronic devices – or anything that uses electricity – when not in use. Your television, stereo, game console, computer, phone charger, digital camera. And don’t forget about the fans, lamps, and small kitchen appliances.

Better yet, unplug the devices when they’re not in use. Even turned off, they can leak electricity as standby power. Experts call this leakage “phantom load” or “vampire energy.” Power strips make it easy to turn off several devices at once, or you can just unplug the power strip.

Click here to shop for top-rated surge protected power strips.

6. Replace the Light Bulbs

The electric current in a standard incandescent bulb heats a thin filament to make the bulb glow. The light is soft and warm, but the bulb loses most of its energy in heat. A compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb (the “curly” one) is an energy saving alternative.

The electric current in a CFL bulb energizes gas vapors, which cause the bulb’s phosphor coating to glow. While this bulb emits a brighter light, it uses less energy and loses very little heat.

Light emitting diodes (LED) are even better energy savers. They’re longer and more traditional looking. They produce light when an electric current passes through the bulb.

LED bulbs have an amazing lifespan – up to 50,000 hours! They’re also durable and less likely to break than CFL bulbs.

Both options are better energy savers than standard bulbs. But we prefer using LED light bulbs in our home. Here’s why.

Light emitting diodes cost more than compact fluorescent lamps. But they save you money in the long run. CFL bulbs use 25% less energy than traditional bulbs, but LED bulbs use 75% less!

As our light bulbs burn out, we replace them with LED light bulbs. They’re clear winners in the long run – for energy efficiency, lifespan, and cost.

{ Note: An incandescent light bulb ban went into effect August 1, 2023, forcing Americans to buy more efficient bulbs to save energy and cut carbon emissions. Read more here. }

7. Use Less Hot Water

Here is a practical way to lower your your energy bills: Use less hot water. When you wash the dishes, for example, or do the laundry, or take a shower. Use the lowest recommended setting to wash clothes, and bathe or shower in warm (not hot) water.

If your tap water is too hot, lower the water heater thermostat to 120 degrees. Another way to save: run shorter cycles on your washing machine, dryer, and dishwasher. Consider installing low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators.

8. Close the Curtains

Window coverings are part of your home décor. They insulate your rooms to keep them cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Let your drapes and curtains hang loose, and make sure they don’t block the return air vents.

Close the curtains, draw the drapes, shut the blinds, and pull the shades where sunlight pours into a room. Especially during the hottest time of the day. This keeps the sun from heating the room. Window caulking and weather stripping keep the cool air from escaping.

{ We love our linen curtains from World Market. The soft gray leaf pattern looks nice against our greige walls. They are no longer available, but Amazon sells similar linen blend curtains from Exclusive Home Curtains.

By the way, our wall color is Accessible Beige from Sherwin Williams. You can find a comparable match from Prestige Paints here. }

9. Rest the Pool Pump

Water movement is essential for a clean swimming pool. But don’t run the pump on a constant basis. Set the timer and run it during the day, and only for the recommended time.

According to Duke Energy, single-speed pumps can make up 20% of your total energy bill. Only your air conditioner uses more electricity during the summer months.

Is your pool pump a single-speed model, or is it more than seven years old? If so, replace it with a variable speed model to reduce your summer energy costs.

10. Fire Up the Grill

Do you spend a lot of time working in the kitchen? Cooking and baking creates a huge amount of heat, especially in a smaller kitchen like ours.

Use an outdoor grill for summer barbecues, or prepare simple meals that don’t need cooking or baking. Besides saving energy and money, outdoor grilling is a great way to keep your home’s kitchen shiny and clean.

Conclusion

That’s it – 10 ways to lower your summer energy bills without sacrificing comfort. For more tips on how to stay cool and save money, check out the comments section below. Feel free to share YOUR tips, too.

Don’t let the dog days get you down. Stay cool, and have a safe and happy summer. ◻️

Related Posts

• 5 Ways to Get Your Swimming Pool Ready for Summer Fun
• 28 Budgeting Tools to Help You Manage Your Money
• How to Manage Your Money Better: 7 Tips for Couples

Now It’s Your Turn

Thank you for reading my post. Now it’s YOUR turn to chime in. How do YOU cut your summer energy bills without sacrificing comfort? Which tips above will you apply this month?

Let’s fill the comments with friendly conversation. Scroll down to leave a reply, ask a question, or just say hello. And if you liked this post, please give it a share.

Blessings, Annette

📋 NOTE – You are reading “10 Good Ways to Lower Your Summer Energy Bills” on Savoring Home. First published in June 2020, it was updated in August 2023.

Photo Sources

• Josh Newman | Flickr | License

Reference Sources

• CPS Energy
• Duke Energy
• United States Department of Energy