June 15, 2012
Chill Your Summer
Energy Bill
During the warm summer
months,
Wisconsin residents
everywhere breathe a sigh of
relief at not having to pay
high heating bills. Summer
is a time when many of us
spend much of our free time
outside, enjoying cookouts,
festivals, and all the
beauty that our state has to
offer.
However, summer does come
with its share of bills,
including water bills from
sprinklers and watering the
lawn, and energy bills from
air conditioning,
electricity and laundry. As
wise consumers, it is always
a good idea to save money
wherever possible, and these
simple tips can go a long
way in reducing your energy
bill this summer.
For air conditioning, use a
programmable thermostat and
set the temperature higher
when you are away from home
and cooler shortly before
you return. Some experts
recommend setting your
thermostat to 78 degrees
when you are home and 85
degrees or off when you are
away. This reduces the
amount of energy used to
cool your home, and saves
money. Always take into
account health
considerations when setting
your thermostat, and be sure
to drink plenty of fluids in
warm weather.
Using house and ceiling fans
instead of air conditioning
can save you up to 25% on
your cooling costs and can
make the temperature in a
room seem 10 degrees
cooler. The airflow
produced by a fan creates a
wind-chill effect, making
you feel cooler. The same
is true for opening upper
story windows at night.
Landscaping is a natural and attractive way to keep your home cool
in the summer. Carefully
positioned trees can save up
to 25% of an average
household's energy used for
cooling. In addition to
adding aesthetic value and
environmental quality to
your home, a well-placed
tree, shrub, or vine can
provide shade, act as a
windbreak, and reduce energy
bills.
To save money on your water
bill, water lawns and
gardens early in the morning
or late in the evening, as
water is more likely to soak
in during these cooler parts
of the day. Keeping grass a
little longer by setting the
mower higher allows you to
water your lawn less, as the
grass will provide shade for
the soil and enhance
moisture in the lawn. Some
experts believe that lawns
only need about one inch of
water each week when grass
is rich and a little
longer. Also, using mulch
in gardening and landscaping
helps maintain soil moisture
around plants and allows you
to use less water when
watering.
Close draperies, shades, and
blinds on the south and west
facing sides of your home to
keep the sun out. Sunny
windows account for 40% of
unwanted heat and can make
your air conditioning work
two to three times harder.
You can also keep shades
closed when the air
conditioner is on for extra
money savings.
Line drying clothes saves
energy, and with warmer
weather, this is easy to do
outside. Grilling is also a
popular outdoor activity
that saves energy costs when
used in place of a stove
or oven.
Earlier this year, a new law
was enacted which may save
money and keep motorists
cooler this summer. Vehicle
owners may now purchase
refrigerant in order to
recharge the air
conditioning in their car.
Wisconsin was the only state
that banned the purchase of
such recharging
refrigerants, which meant
residents had to take their
car to a repair shop in
order to do so. Prior to
enactment of the law, the
added cost to consumers
could be up to $200, which
some simply might not be
able to afford. Now,
drivers who want to stay
cool this summer can do so
for less than $50.
Summer in Wisconsin is a
great time to get outdoors
and soak it all in. But
when it’s time to chill out
and relax indoors, you
shouldn’t have to sweat the
high cost of doing so.
Hopefully, these easy tips
will help lower your energy
bills, keep more money in
your pocket for summertime
fun, and keep you cool all
summer long.
-30-
Sen. Kedzie can be
reached in Madison at P.O.
Box 7882, Madison, WI
53707-7882 or by calling
toll-free 1 (800) 578-1457.
He may be reached in the
district at (262) 742-2025
or on-line at
www.senatorkedzie.com
