IDT Energy Savings

As the weather starts to warm up, it’s important to start thinking about your summer electrical expenses.  A few key actions can help you to save money while staying cool through the summer whether you use IDT Energy or another company.

If you have central air conditioning in the house, keep your thermostat set at 78 degrees.  The statistics on these savings are amazing – for each degree above 78 that you program your thermostat, you can save an additional 6-7% on your monthly cooling costs.  Now that’s savings!

Ceiling fans can make a huge difference in heating and cooling costs.  During hot weather months, a ceiling fan will create a great breeze while circulating air in the house.  It is often enough, without even needing to turn on the air conditioning unit.  Make sure, as well, to close blinds, drapes and shades during the hottest part of the day. This will keep the hot sun from heating the house.

With summer around the corner, it’s important to start thinking about saving energy and costs.  During the warmer weather months, there are a number of ways that you can save energy by making smart purchases and by being creative.  Here are a few suggestions to get you started whether you use IDT Energy or another company.

If you’re buying an air conditioner for the summer months, look for one with the ENERGY star label.  They are the most energy efficient models that you’ll find, enabling you to cool the house for less money.  A new air conditioner can actually reduce your cooling costs by as much as 20% when compared to an older unit.

While most people don’t realize this, the location of the room air conditioner actually makes a difference.  Try to keep your room air conditioner out of the sun.  Room air conditioners work the best when they are kept cool.  Usually, the best place to install one is on the north-facing wall.

These tips should help you to begin your summer electricity preparations.  Keep it cool while saving money!

The largest expense of running a washing machine is heating the water. The majority of time your clothes will be just as clean after washing in cold water as washing in warm or hot water. If you do have a lot of extra dirty clothes on hand, it is more efficient to pre-soak them in warm water and then wash them in cold, saving lots of warm water which is just not necessary to use.

Do you find that your dryer just doesn’t try as quickly as it used to? This is most certainly a problem caused by an over accumulation of lint. Always check the lint trap and clean it after every load you dry. Also check the dryer’s exhaust for lint that could be blocking the efficient exiting of the hot, humid air to the outside. This simple rule can save you lots of energy, time and money.

An even better idea is to hang your clothes to dry when the sun is shining outside. This ancient form of solar energy is free and abundant and will even give your clothes a nice “outdoorsy” smell. Yes it is time consuming, but maybe you would like to get some fresh air and enjoy the warm sunshine, and the great garden smells while at the same time saving quite a bit of energy and money.