5 Spring Energy Consumption Mistakes that Increase Your Bill

Everyone makes mistakes. It’s a human thing. And it’s perfectly okay.

But if you keep making the same mistake over and over, you haven’t learned from it (or you don’t care).

During spring, you can make mistakes that drive your energy bill up. The top mistakes include:

1. Cooling your home when no one’s around
2. Not locking your windows
3. Turning your AC high to cool your home faster
4. Ignoring air leaks
5. Not using your ceiling fans

Here’s the details so you know exactly what to do:

1. Cooling an Empty Home

Are you going back to the office? Are your kids back in school?

Everyone’s getting sick and tired of staying home. And COVID-19 is slowly losing its grasp on society.

As your life returns to normal, make sure you stay aware of your air conditioning use.

Don’t cool a home for no one! Turn your HVAC off entirely on comfortable days. And use your programmable thermostat to raise the temperature when you’re not home.

Because your HVAC system is the biggest use of electricity in your home, always start with it when figuring out how to reduce your electric bills.

2. Forgetting to Lock Your Windows

If the temperature outside isn’t comfortable, make sure you lock your windows.

That creates the tightest seal, which keeps warm air from flowing into your home and cool air from flowing out of your home.

3. Cranking Your AC to Cool Your Home Faster

On hot days, don’t crank your AC to cool your home faster.

Turning the temperature down farther does not cool your home any faster at all.

All it does is make your HVAC system use more electricity, which drives up your bill.

Simply set your HVAC system to your desired temperature, and work on having a little patience.

4. Ignoring Leaks and Drafts

Unless they make you quite uncomfortable, it’s easy to minimize how much leaks and drafts could be costing you.

But make no mistake about it: leaks and drafts are among the worst offenders when it comes to wasted electricity.

Check your doors and windows for a tight seal. Run an incense stick around all exterior walls and look for the smoke to be distributed to find unexpected leaks.

Make sure you seal your attic door and the door to your garage. Of all the potential places for leaks and drafts, they cause the most waste.

5. Forgetting Your Ceiling Fans

It’s so easy to overlook the energy-saving effects of ceiling fans.

Did you know they actually do very little to cool the air in your home?

Instead, the air they push down makes you feel cooler and more comfortable. As a result, you don’t feel the need to turn your HVAC down as far.

That’s how they save you money.

Your ceiling fan has a switch on the side. Make sure your fan blades turn counterclockwise so they push air down on you.

That’s how you turn your ceiling fans into money-saving machines!

Saving money on your electric bill isn’t rocket science.

Instead, it involves making simple decisions and sticking to them over time.

Now you know what those decisions are so you can put more cash in your pocket!