Tips for Cooling Off Energy Bills This Summer
From closing your blinds to shifting the time you use energy, here are a few tips to help you save.
There are dozens of ways to keep your summer energy bills in check during the hot season while staying comfortable in your home. Here are some helpful tips.
Your air conditioner won’t need to work as hard if you:
- Close drapes and tilt your blinds up to keep out direct sunlight.
- Run a ceiling fan while the air conditioner is on. You’ll be able to raise the thermostat about 4 degrees, yet keep the same comfort level. Fans cool people, not spaces, so turn off the fan when you leave a room.
- Here’s a cool trick: fill a mixing bowl with ice and angle it in front of a large fan for a chilled, misty breeze.
Make your refrigerator more energy efficient:
- Keep the temperature in your refrigerator between 37 and 40 degrees. Cooler settings require more energy.
- Minimize door openings as much as possible since cold air escapes each time and the unit works harder to replace the escaped air.
- Clean the condenser coils at least once a year to improve your refrigerator’s efficiency by 30%.
Find the right rate for your lifestyle:
- Southern California Edison’s Time-of-Use rate plan might save you money if you shift energy usage away from 4-9 p.m. Visit SCE’s Rate Plan Comparison Tool.
- In addition to Time-of-Use and Tiered rate plans, SCE has rate options for electric vehicle drivers, customers with solar panels and clean energy enthusiasts.
- Income-qualified customers can receive discounts of up to 30% on their bill through the CARE program. Learn more.
- Customers who need electric-powered medical equipment for life support can save money by enrolling in the Medical Baseline program. Learn more.
For more tips and other low or no-cost ways to make your home more energy efficient, take five minutes to complete SCE’s energy survey.
