There are a lot of different steps you can take to save energy, but they are not always the same steps depending on the season. What you do in the fall and winter to save energy is not the same as how you save energy in the spring and summer. Since the weather is starting to warm up (though some parts of the country have had a resurgence of cold in the last few weeks), we think it’s time to lay out the go-to steps for saving energy in the spring and summer so you’re ready to go once that first day for air conditioning arrives.
Conserve Water
Conserving water isn’t exactly saving “energy,” but it is, nonetheless, important during the warm/hot months, especially in dry climates. We can’t just make more water. It is everyone’s responsibility to be aware of this and to use water considerately. Here are several ways you can conserve water during spring and summer:
- Take quick showers (no more than 20 minutes), every other day if you can, and no baths. Baths use more water.
- Turn the faucet off while brushing your teeth and just turn back on for rinsing.
- Remove your lawn and replace it with native plants that don’t require so much watering.
- Keep a bucket in the bathroom and/or kitchen to collect cold water before it heats up and use it for your yard.
- Use a bucket of water to wet dishes before soaping and then turn the faucet on only when all the dishes are ready for rinsing.
- Upgrade to front-loading washing machines, which use almost 10 gallons LESS water.
- Install a low flow shower head.
Keep the Cool In and the Heat Out
It’s very tempting to just turn on the air conditioning when it gets too hot, but there are ways to make sure you can still save electricity and money even if you do occasionally turn on the air conditioning.
- If it’s cool at night, turn the air conditioning off and open the windows. In the morning, shut the windows and cover them to keep the cold air in.
- Install window treatments/coverings to keep heat from coming in through the windows.
- Seal all air leaks in windows and doors to keep cold air from escaping and warm air from entering.
- Upgrade to energy-efficient windows.
- Set your thermostat as high as is comfortable.
- Use fans.
- Avoid using the oven/stove on hot days, if possible.
- Keep all unnecessary lights off.
Ready for Spring!
It’s easier to save energy in winter but it’s most important to save energy during the spring and summer because that’s when the most energy is used. With these tips, you can help the environment while keeping your electric bill down, and if you want to get that electric bill even lower, consider going solar! For more info about going solar in Southern California, check out our website: http://solaroptimum.com/
