With extreme heat plaguing much of Central Florida, your monthly power bill might suffer from similarly high costs thanks to increased A/C usage.
However, there are ways to cut back on those power costs this summer without sacrificing the comfort of a nice, cool home.
The Natural Resources Defense Council — a non-profit dedicated to environmental advocacy — has a list of ways that homeowners can save on those costs throughout the hot season.
GET A POWER STRIP
According to NRDC, “idle load electricity” — electronic devices like computers in sleep mode, speakers or televisions — can make up about 23% of power consumption, even though you aren’t making use of those devices.
Using a power strip can help cut back on that power usage by tethering several devices to one power strip.
If you don’t want those devices to use up power while you’re not using them, you can simply flip the strip’s switch, and the power will be removed from all of them at once.
BUY OUTLET TIMERS
Plugging devices into outlet timers can be a great support for those who forgot when to turn things on or off.
As NRDC states, using timers with electronics that you only use at specific times — like coffee makers or heated towel racks — can help cut down on the amount of energy they use throughout the day.
USE STREAMING SERVICES ON YOUR TV
Popular streaming sites like Netflix and Hulu are usually available on your smart TV through a low-power-consuming device like an Apple TV or Roku stick.
This means that you can ditch devices like set-top boxes and DVRs, which could be more costly in the long run.
GRAB A POWER METER
Power meters can tell users just how much energy a device is using up while it’s sitting idle — a great tool for figuring out where to pull back on power usage.
Additionally, smart power meters can help detect how much energy you’re using when everything seems to be turned off.
KEEP A/C DOWN
Marcos Rodriguez, an energy consultant for Florida Power and Light, told News 6 that one of the better methods for saving on energy costs is to moderate your A/C temperatures.
“One of the things that we recommend our customers is to try to keep their A/C at about 78 degrees when they’re home,” he said.
Rodriguez added that users can take advantage of ceiling fans to help keep the home cool instead of relying on A/C too often.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: