12 ways to cut power bills and stay cool this
summer
|
|
|
| Prepare your evening meal in the
morning, before the heat of the day. One cool solution: cold soups, Ponzek says.
On the stove they take about 45 minutes, then chill in the refrigerator until
you're ready to serve them. One of her favorites: English pea soup topped with
lump crab meat. "Serve it with bread and salad on the side and you're done,"
Ponzek says. "It's that easy."
3. Insulate your
attic door. Everyone remembers to insulate the attic, but
no one remembers the attic door. "The attic door was pulling
heat," says Carole Koble, manager of North Carolina State University's
Solar House.
The
solution is easy and fairly inexpensive, she says. You can pick up specially designed,
ready-to-hang insulators made of hard or flexible plastic foam for about $125.
4.
Low-tech, low-cost savings. Not every solution has to be complicated.
 |
3 things you can do to start saving right now: |
|
|
| • | Turn
the thermostat up a couple of degrees. Keep it comfortable, but if your
family can live with the temperature at 80 instead of 78, you can save about $30
during the half of the year you use air, says Vargas. | | • | Close
off unused rooms. Shut doors and air ducts to seldom-used rooms so that
you're not air conditioning them. | | • |
Shut
the blinds. Closing drapes and blinds keeps out
sunlight and heat. |
|
5.
Use ceiling fans. They make a room feel cooler by keeping the air moving.
While the amount of savings is tough to quantify, use them with a slightly higher
temperature on the thermostat to make the house feel just as cool, says Vargas.
But don't run them when the room is empty. They make you feel cooler by moving
the air, but they don't actually change the temperature.
6. Create an
outside oasis. One way to lessen the need for air conditioning?
Get outside. First, create a cool, green haven. Use trellises with
fast-climbing plants -- North Carolina State University's Solar
House uses kiwi vines -- along with native trees and plants to give
your area a lush feel. If you don't want to wait for trees to grow,
consider hiring a pro to install larger trees. The trade-off: money
for growing time.
For instant shade, you can
supplement with patio or beach umbrellas or a cabana. A water feature can add
an extra sensation of relaxation and heat relief. 7.
Replace old air conditioning units. Because of new technology and standards,
"the difference in what you can buy today is dramatic in terms of energy
savings," says Vargas. So if a unit is 12 or more years old, consider getting
a newer version. After Ronnie Kweller replaced an older window
unit with an Energy Star-approved model, her power bill (normally $60 to $100
in the summer) came in at $27.
In addition to the lighter power bill, Kweller, spokeswoman
for the Alliance to Save Energy, a consortium focused on energy
efficiency measures, also recouped a $50 rebate from the city, bringing
the price of the unit to $200. | 
