Summer Saving Tips for Shavano Park Residents

So far the summer has been all over the place for Shavano Park Real Estate owners, rain some days, mild weather other days, but more than anything extreme heat. Afternoons by the pool and trips to the lake are obvious ways to beat the heat, but if you’re somewhat of a normal person, you probably can’t spend all summer at the lake. Below are some ways to beat the heat at home without sending your energy bill through the roof. (US Department of Energy)

• Set your thermostat to 78 degrees Fahrenheit. 78 degrees allows for a comfortable environment for the energy-conscious Shavano Park Real Estate homeowner.
• Close the blinds or curtains in parts of the house that face the sun, especially during the hottest part of the day. Direct sunlight can cause up to a 40% increase in heat inside your house and will make it that much harder to keep your home cool.
• Grilling outdoors uses less energy and doesn’t create heat inside your home.
• A ceiling fan will allow you to increase the temperature on your thermostat (which means using less energy), and can lower the temperature in your home by up to 10 degrees. A fan will also help to circulate and distribute the cold air.
• Use clotheslines to dry your clothes outdoors. Let the sun do the work for you!
• Replace your traditional incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs or LED bulbs. Energy saving light bulbs use up to 75% less energy, last longer, and generate less heat.
• Take shorter, cooler showers.
• Plant trees around your home. Spend the day outdoors planting trees and shrubs around your home and air conditioning units. Trees will shade your home and AC units, keeping them cooler on hot sunny days.
• Turn off appliances. Even the most basic appliances use small amounts of energy when not in use. Turn lights off when you’re not in the room and connect your electronic devices (TV, DVR box, stereo, gaming console) to a single power strip and turn it off when the devices aren’t in use.
• Open your windows. If it’s cool at night, open your windows before you go to bed and close them when you wake up to trap the cooler air inside your home (remember to turn the AC off when the windows are open).

Some of the tips mentioned above are completely free and can be used on a daily basis to increase your savings, others are simple and inexpensive actions you can take to ensure your Shavano Park Real Estate’s maximum savings through the last months of summer.