If you Fan’d The Cheap Chick on Facebook (and if you haven’t, you are dead to me), you already heard my most exciting news – I’m doing two segments a week for Fox 9’s Morning Buzz, instead of just one. Woot! It only took me two solid years of begging… Moving on.
What does that mean to you, the constant reader/denizen of the Cheap Chick Empire? Why, I’ll tell you – it means twice a week, you’ll get posts based on what I discussed on air. And as I am the LAZIEST PERSON YOU KNOW, I didn’t post yesterday, which means you get two, two, TWO posts for the price of one today. Lucky, lucky you.
So, with no further ado (To you, and you, and you, and you, and yoooooouuuuu… sorry. Random Sound Of Music moment.), here are the details from yesterday’s Morning Buzz segment:
How To Save On Energy Bills This Summer
1. Cook with your microwave, and not your stove. A microwave uses two-thirds less energy than a stove, and won’t heat up your kitchen.
a. Cook a few times a week, and make enough for microwaveable dinners for the other nights.
b. Eat more salads and sandwiches for dinner, and bypass all your cooking appliances!
2. Stock your refrigerator. A full refrigerator stays cooler when the door is opened, using less energy to maintain a constant temperature.
3. Program your AC to 80 degrees for when you are away from home. When you are home, try to keep the temps above 72 degrees. You’ll save 1 to 3 percent on your bill for every degree above 72.
4. Avoid running your appliances during peak hours, 4 to 6 PM. Do the dishes first thing in the morning and laundry at night (or visa versa – I’m not the boss of you).
5. Wash your clothes in the cool cycles, and line-dry them.
6. Run the dishwasher only when it’s completely full, and air dry the dishes (open the door and pull out the racks).
7. Change your AC filter once a month so your machine will function more efficiently.
8. Shade your windows, especially if they are east-west facing. You can use awnings, patio covers, sun-blocking shades, and for a long-term solution, well-placed trees or shrubs. Trees are the best – the leaf cover will shade you in the summer, and the bare branches allow warming sunlight in during the winter.
9. Don’t just clean your heating and cooling ducts, have them tested for leaks, too. Leaking duct work wastes about one fourth of your energy bill!
10. Wherever possible, install and use ceiling fans. Also, make sure you’re using them properly – you want them pushing air down, not up, in the summer. Remember though, fans cool people, not rooms, so turn them off when you leave.
11. Switch out your light bulbs, if you haven’t yet, for compact fluorescent bulbs. Not only do they use much less energy and last longer, but they generate less heat. Be sure to change out the bulbs in your outside light fixtures, too.
12. Last but not least? Turn it off! If you aren’t using the lights or appliances, why are they on? And yes, that includes your TVs and computers. Unplug it if you aren’t using it, to save even more on energy.
There you have it – simple, inexpensive, non-redo-your-entire-house-to-save-on-energy tips. I hope they help cool off your overheated electric bill! Bah dum dum! Tip your servers, I’m here all week…
One Comment
Fabulous tips! One way I try to save energy, as well as be frugal, is to use my small kitchen appliances for cooking, whenever possible/appropriate. For instance, I have a small waffle iron with removable plates that I often use as a sandwich press, plopping on the smooth plates. I have a nice plug-in grill pan, a toaster oven, and a George Foreman grill that I frequently rely on. I’m not sure of the energy used, but I feel good using them, since I’m not turning on the main oven or stove. I often make more food than I need to, saving leftovers foranother meal (another of your wise ideas).
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