By Michael French
Summer is here! Ah, the hours of sunshine seems endless, the frenetic pace of the season gives way to a more relaxed atmosphere, traffic is lighter, restaurant reservations are much easier to come by, and Florida “belongs” to us again!
But, there’s a catch. Florida’s long summer arrives with two friends carrying heavy baggage, and we Floridians know them all too well. They’re called Heat and Humidity. These two get all the blame for bad hair days, short tempers, wrinkled clothes, mold and lightheadedness. Hmm … the latter couldn’t be from just one too many pitchers of your favorite brew, now could it? It’s just easier to blame the heat. Denial is not a river in Egypt!
So we summon the “white knight” of air conditioning to rescue us! He’s mercenary though, because he comes to our aid at an often high price if we aren’t prudent.
With the rise in oil prices, so follows cooling costs. For many Floridians, especially in these challenging economic times, staying comfortably cool takes an ever bigger slice of the budget pie. Keeping cool, without handing over too much of your hard earned cash to the electric utility during Florida’s long, sizzling summer requires a thoughtful strategy. No one has to be a slave to their cooling bill!
Put that salivating wolf of an electric company on a diet! No matter whether one lives in a multi- or single family home, there’s no shortage of ways to save lots of money on summer’s electric bills. No, it’s not very exciting to actually commit to saving electricity, but for every cent saved that’s more you can spend on actually getting away from the heat … like an Alaskan cruise.
First, establish your true comfort level. Use a combination of fans and A/C; still, stagnant air can make the temperature feel much warmer than it really is. Oscillating fans are great for really moving the air. Plan your cooling strategy once you’ve established the highest temperature you can tolerate, without compromising the enjoyment of your abode.
Everyone should get a programmable thermostat. Program the thermostat to not turn the A/C on until the temperature reaches 81 degrees when you aren’t home. While home, set the temperature at 78 degrees. Fans can make the room feel at least 4 degrees cooler at just one mile per hour. Circulating air keeps your space drier too, making it more difficult for mold or mildew to develop. You can’t have too many fans.
Plant deciduous trees on the south and west side of your home so they shade the house during the hottest part of the day. Just three trees can cut hundreds of dollars per year from an annual cooling expense. Shade the compressor of the central A/C unit.
Make sure all doors and windows are caulked and closed tightly. Lower the hot water heater to 115 degrees, use compact fluorescent light bulbs (they are 4 times cooler), select air dry on the dishwasher and use the microwave instead of the oven or stove. Use white, sun reflective window coverings to deflect the heat, add insulation to the attic and install a fan up there. Attics trap huge amounts of heat, thus making your A/C system work harder and adding to your electric bill.
There are great deals out there on new central A/C systems. Offers of huge rebates, tax credits and zero percent financing are very common. A ten year old system can use fifty percent more energy than a new one! Most local electricity providers will actually come to your home at no cost and analyze your home for its energy efficiency. Take advantage of it! Keep the heat in your home down by having more BBQ’s! Does your grill have cobwebs?
Using a recipe of common sense, prudence, creativity, and elbow grease, you can save more than you imagine on your electric bill and still be comfortable! Keeping the house warmer when you’re not there, you can turn the thermostat down at night to a comfy cool temperature, just right for, well, use your imagination!
Michael French, is Agenda’s Home from Home columnist. Contact Michael at mf7954fla@gmail.com