How to Lower Your Electric Bills in the Summer

August 2, 2019

In this week’s livestream, we’ll discuss ways to lower your electric bills to combat summer’s long and hot days, and higher bills. Demand for electricity is higher in the summer because more expensive generation sources are required to meet this increased demand, which then increases the electricity prices. With increased demand, everyone relies on the same grid for electricity. Tune in as Patrick and Andrew discuss some effective ways you can save on your electric bills this summer without sacrificing comfort. 

Higher Electricity Rates in the Summer

As previously mentioned, electricity rates are very high in the summer due to increased demand in electricity. With longer daylight hours, higher temperatures, and less shade, people are more dependent on air conditioning and cooling to stay comfortable in their homes. Because of this higher electricity usage in the summer, we see rate schedules across utilities such as SDG&E, SCE, and PG&E increases as much as 50-100%.

We list some simple ways you can save on electricity that can be easily integrated into your own home.

1. Keep Your Thermostat Set at 78°F

Many turn on air conditioners during the summer to stay cool. But this results in high electric bills. Here’s a way you can help mitigate your air conditioning usage: with every degree your thermostat is raised, you’re able to save 4-8% on cooling costs. If it works for you and you’re comfortable, try setting your thermostat to 78°F to save on those cooling costs.

In addition, if you have a ceiling fan in your home, try using it the same time you have your air conditioner on to help push cooler air down into the room. Having your fan on will also help cool the room as you increase your thermostat by a couple degrees to help with cooling costs (read more below).

2. Invest in Energy Efficient Devices

Energy efficient tools such as programmable thermostats, smart thermostats, LED lighting, or other “green” gadgets are great for your home as they help save energy, the environment, and money!

Programmable thermostats like the one above by Nest, are very popular energy efficient home devices that allow you to precisely control your home’s temperature with its pairing Nest mobile application. A great advantage of these smart thermostats is its functionality to allow you to modify your temperature preferences when you want that way your electricity usage is more efficient.

3. Consider Energy Star Certified Appliances

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency created the Energy Star certification label to guarantee significant energy savings with these certified home appliances. Energy Star certified home appliances are known to produce 15% less energy than non-Energy Star certified appliances. You would be making a really great investment in switching to these home appliances as it will help reduce your electric bills. Some Energy Star certified home appliances that you should consider include: dishwashers, clothes washers, clothes dryers, refrigerators, air purifiers, freezers, and more.

Solar Produces the Most in the Summer

One of the many reasons people make the decision to go solar is to help decrease their monthly electric bills – especially in the summer. Because summer days are longer, solar panels generate more energy. With the extra production, you can bring your bill down lower with net metering and cut into higher rates.

There you have it, effective ways to cut down on your electricity bills that you can implement into your home without having to sacrifice comfort. We hope you consider these tips and tricks and notice your electricity costs go down. In addition to implementing these tips into your home, consider going solar to help balance out the energy you can produce and the energy you need. If you want to explore your solar options and consider home batteries to help bring you one step closer to some autonomy, our team at Pick My Solar will be more than happy to guide your through this process. Happy Saving!