Why is my electric bill so high during the summer?

As the grass turns green and the snow begins

melting away, we can all pack up our winter quilts and put away the
heaters. But, homeowners who were hoping to save on their electric bill
come the warmer months may have been met with a surprise.

What’s Cheaper: Heating or Cooling?
When
considering the efficiency of an air conditioner compared to a furnace
or boiler, it’s actually easier to transfer heat (i.e., cool down a room
with an air conditioner) than it is to generate heat (or warm up an
area with a furnace/boiler).

So, why do you have such a high
energy bill during the summer? While the air conditioning unit itself
may be more efficient at controlling your home’s climate than a heating
unit is, there are a lot of other factors to consider.

Keeping Cool During Summer

During the winter months, you can keep your house warmer by letting the
sunlight in and keeping doors closed. You may have a nicely insulated
upper crawl space or attic, which helps to keep the rising heat inside
too. All of that makes for a more efficient winter home.

However,
during the summer, letting in the sunlight is going to heat your house
up quickly, meaning your air conditioner has to work harder (and longer)
to keep the house cool. You may also have your air conditioning unit
turned down quite a bit to keep your home in the icy 60s. This requires
your air conditioner to be on almost constantly, especially if outdoor
temperatures are in the 80s or higher.

How To Lower Your Bill Without Boiling

If you want some tips and tricks to keep your house comfortable during
the summer without letting your electricity bill get out of hand, follow
this advice:

Close it off. On a hot day, let your air
conditioner run better by blocking out the hot sun. Close doors to rooms
that aren’t used so the unit doesn’t have to cool as many square feet.

Get new curtains. Blackout curtains will help keep out the heat, and they’ll also help keep the cool in by providing an extra layer of insulation.

Check for drafts. In
the wintertime, you probably go around your house looking for places
where cool air can get in. Now, look for places where it can get out.
Insulation is just as important during the summer.

If you can
stand it, a final tip is to turn your air conditioner up a few more
degrees. When you’ll be gone for a while, do the same thing (rather than
turning it all the way off) to keep your house comfortable. When you
want to cool down again, the air conditioner will have to work less to
get it back to your ideal temperature but, in the meantime, you’ll be
saving energy.

On cooler days, consider foregoing the A/C all
together and turning on some fans to circulate the fresh air in from
outside. Fans can also be used to move the cool A/C air around the house
more effectively. http://www.ACFilters4Less.com