For many homeowners, summer is a time for increased energy bills as the temperatures rise. While there are lots of different methods to save energy including more efficient appliances, there are also some fantastic online resources available to help reduce your cooling costs.
Save Energy @Home:
This is an interactive tool that helps you to explore tips for saving energy room by room. For example, you can click on the blue Energy Star logo on the garage door, and you will see suggestions to install door sweeps to contribute to the prevention of expensive air leaks. The tool also allows you to view tips in greater detail by zooming into each room. This tool is packed with helpful and straightforward to implement tips and tricks to reduce your overall energy consumption.
After you input some basic data including your zip code and how you cool and heat your home, this Home Advisor tool displays energy saving tips which are customized to your particular location and your existing equipment. Although this tool is not specific to cooling, there are many recommendations that can boost the efficiency of your air conditioning system.
Downloadable E-book from Energy Savers:
The Energy Savers program is operated by the U.S Department of Energy. The program was designed to assist homeowners in reducing their energy consumption to minimize their environmental impact and save money. This downloadable PDF book is filled with useful information which can be helpful to lower the cost of cooling your home.
Energy Savers Air Conditioning Tips:
If you lack the time or motivation to read the entire PDF book, this webpage provides an abbreviated format. This takes the form of air conditioning efficiency tips. Unfortunately, while this tool is very useful, it is not comprehensive. Some aspects of energy saving are not covered, such as information about improvements through sealing air leaks. Air leaks are one of the main sources of inefficiency in air conditioning and heating systems.
Tutorial for Programmable Thermostats:
This online Energy Star video is a wonderful tool to showcase how you can use your programmable thermostat to reduce your heating and cooling costs. While you are likely to have an owner’s manual to instruct you on your programmable thermostat, this video is clear and easy to understand to help you to program your system for maximum energy efficiency without impacting on the comfort level in your home.
The Home Energy Efficiency Survey:
Customers of Southern California Edison, you can access this online survey. When you fill in your information, the survey results will show you detailed historical data for your energy use. You will also see how your energy consumption compares to other homes in your area and tips to reduce your energy use. While this survey is limited to Southern California residents, many energy providers around the country offer similar tools.
Home Energy Interactive Guide:
This interactive resource is a great way to walk through the different methods of reducing the costs of cooling your home. This includes organic methods such as using fans and shutting blinds. This is a fantastic resource for low cost methods which can deliver massive energy savings.