4 Tips to Beat the Heat AND Your Utility Bill

(#1 & 2 Are Easy & Cheap, #3 & 4 Save You The Most)

This summer has scorched the Midwest, and we Mid-Westerners are paying for it – literally.

But we don’t have to.

For example, even though blistering summers and frigid winters make the average Missouri resident’s utility bill the 11th highest in America, you can cut your energy bill by up to 95% by going solar. In addition, we’re going to give you this list of ridiculously simple and cheap ways to cut your energy bill today:

1. Temperature Tips

A/C is the main reason for your energy bill skyrocketing along with the temperature. Fortunately, you can keep your cool and your costs down with these tricks:

A. Keep control of your Thermostat 

Here is a fun fact –  Every degree above 78 shrinks your A/C use (and bill) by 10%. Conversely, every degree below 78 raises it by 10%. That being said, being conscious of what you are setting your thermostat to can make a significant difference in your electric bill. When you are not home for a period of time, consider bumping the thermostat to 78-80 degrees. You may also consider implementing a smart thermostat to help control your usage throughout the day.

B. Become a Fan of Fans

Fans make a room feel 5-10 degrees cooler at only 10% of the cost of running your A/C. Before running to the thermostat on a hot summer day, try turning on a ceiling fan. For additional energy savings, turn off your fans when no one is home.

C. Throw Some Shade

…on your rooms, that is. We all know that melty feeling you get in direct sunlight, well the rooms in your home get the same way when sun is beating into them. To keep temperatures (and utility bills) down, utilize drapes, blinds and/or shades whenever possible.

D. Check Your Air Filters Monthly

Checking your air filters monthly, and replacing air filters when necessary, is a quick and easy way to keep energy costs down. Clogged up, dusty air filters make your A/C work twice as hard to cool your rooms.

2. Electricity Tips

These tips are not designed to restrict you from using electricity but rather to prevent you from paying for all the energy you’re not using.

A. Unplug Unused Electronics

Common household appliances, such as your TV, Xbox, computer, phone charger, microwave, printer, etc., may look innocent enough but in reality, they are energy suckers. On average, household appliances cost a homeowner $100 per year – and this is when they are in standby, sleep mode or plugged in but not in use. The solution is simpler than you would imagine, incorporate power strips and turn off appropriate appliances and devices when they are not in use.

B. Switch to LED Lights

LED lights are only a few dollars per bulb, and each bulb uses 85% less energy per watt than an incandescent light bulb (and 10% less than a fluorescent light bulb) during its 20-year lifespan. Thus, your lighting costs will be 85% less too!

C. Just turn it off!

Speaking of lights, if you aren’t using them, turn them off. There’s no reason for lights to be on in any un-populated room, and flipping the switch takes you all of 0.01 seconds.

3. Professional Energy Audit

As Sun Solar likes to say, Reduce Before You Produce. Whether you are producing your own power via solar energy or purchasing energy from the electric company, it does you no good if that energy is seeping out of the home due to inefficiencies. Sun Solar’s energy efficiency company, Smart Energy Solutions, will help to make your home as energy-efficient as possible.

4. The 95% Savings Tip: Generate Your Own Solar Energy!

By far the best way to cut costs is to flip the tables on the sun.  Add solar panels to your home or business and shrink your utility bill up to 95% by harnessing the very reason for summer heat and A/C bills!

And, if you don’t have a huge amount of cash to put down on a solar energy system, don’t worry – with Sun Solar’s low-interest loan program, you can begin saving money from the very first day you go solar with no cash down (not to mention the plethora of other financial incentives currently available, including a 30% federal tax credit only available through 2019).