Summer Energy Saving Tips

• Home sealing is the best way to reduce energy use and help your home stay cool. Home sealing is simply closing holes, cracks, and gaps where air can pass into or out of your home.

Learn how to seal your home properly with the on-line Guide to Energy Star Home Sealing or contact Boone REMC for a free information packet about home sealing.

• Close drapes or blinds during the day to keep heat producing sunlight out.

• Change or clean your air conditioner’s filter once a month. Dirty filters reduce efficiency by reducing air flow.

• Clear outdoor air conditioning units and heat pumps of debris and shrubbery so they can work more efficiently.

• Avoid using filters on your registers; they restrict air flow. The filter for your central HVAC system is adequate if properly maintained.

• Clean your registers and return air grilles on a regular basis.

• If you use window air conditioners, make sure the window opening around the unit is tightly sealed. Clean the filter on a regular basis.

• Don’t set your thermostat at a colder setting when you turn on your air conditioner. This will not cool your home faster and could result in excessive cooling and therefore unnecessary expense.

• Try to see if you can be comfortable with a higher setting on your thermostat.

• Check your windows on a regular basis to make sure they close properly. Locking the windows is often the best way to keep casement windows closed tight.

• Avoid using the stove or oven on a hot day. Instead, use the microwave, grill outdoors or throw together a cold summer meal.

• If your home has a fireplace, make sure the damper is closed.

• Clean your refrigerator coils, either at the bottom of the unit or behind the unit. Clean coils will help your refrigerator operate more efficiently and produce less heat.

• If you have a dry crawl space, cover and seal the vents to prevent hot, humid air from entering your home.