Using The Right Products For Your Appliances

6 Ways To Save Money While Using Your Appliances This Summer

by Brent Hart

Here are five strategies that will help you reduce the impact your appliances have on your electric and water bill this summer.

Turn On A Fan

Help your air conditioner circulate air more effectively by turning on any ceiling fans you have in your home, or setting up a few portable fans. Fans use significantly less energy than your air conditioning does, and using them throughout the day may help reduce how frequently your air conditioner comes on throughout the day, thus reducing the strain of your air conditioner on your electric bill.

Turn Off What You Don't Need

It is always good practice to turn off lights and electronics when you are not using them. Open up your blinds and curtains and light up your home with more natural light in the summer; this will help you cut down on your electrical use.

Unplug Items

When your phone charger is plugged in, but not in use, it is still using energy. It is designed to release a certain amount of energy at all times, regardless of if there is a phone plugged into it or not. Even your T.V. uses some amount of energy when it is not in use. If you are heading out of town for the weekend, or taking a long vacation, you can cut down on your electric bill by unplugging all the chargers in your house and any electric appliance you don't need to use while you are on vacation.

Dry Outside Or At Night

Give your dryer a break by hanging up your clothes and letting the them line dry out in the warm sunshine. If line-drying your clothes is not a realistic option, run your dryer at night when electrical prices tend to be lower. Contact your electric company and find out what their "off-peak" hours are, where electric rates are not as high, and dry your clothes during that time. It also helps reduce energy usage by running a full load when you use your dryer.

Keep Your Refrigerator & Freezer Full

Surprisingly, your refrigerator and freezer actually uses less energy when it is full. If you don't purchase or use enough food to keep it full naturally, put containers of water in your fridge to make it full. Your fridge is able to easier maintain temperatures when it is full then when it is half-full or close to empty, which results in lower energy needs.

Change Your Cooking Habits

Another great way to reduce energy costs in the summer is to change your cooking habits. Try cooking more meals that don't require the use of your stove, such as salads, wraps and sandwiches. If you do need to use your stove, get everything ready beforehand so you can quickly cook up what you need. This will reduce the energy your stove uses, and will help keep your house cool, which will assist your air conditioner. When you need to reheat food, use the microwave instead of your stove. 

If something goes wrong with an appliance, more energy can be used up until the issue is fixed. Contact a repair service, such as Seattle's Best Appliance Repair.

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