CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Although this is the official first day of summer, many of us have already seen a spike in what it is costing us to try to keep cool.
Higher temperatures typically mean higher energy bills and for those of us in south Texas, that means looking for ways to try to whether the hot weather.
Turns out, there are some things that you can do right now to help keep that electric bill chill.
Turning up the thermostat is the quickest and easiest way to save. According to the Department of Energy, going all the way up to 78 degrees can save up to 10% each year. In fact, anything above 72 degrees can help reduce your bill.
Also, closing the blinds and using fans will allow you to raise the thermostat setting by about four degrees without reducing your level of comfort, kind of like a wind chill effect.
Got some laundry to do? Then consider washing and rinsing your clothes with cold water this summer. It can be a money-saver, along with unplugging small appliances, televisions and computers.
One other idea is to fire up the grill and eat outside as much as you can. Cooking can raise the temperature in the kitchen by about 10 degrees.
Of course, for many, installing solar panels is an option and a good way to go green. But how much does it help? According to Jamie Zambrano, owner of Solar Guys in Corpus Christi, solar can be a good investment in your home.
“Solar will, overall, save you money to lock in a fixed rate of what you are agreeing to at that point in time, whether you pay cash or finance it,” Zambrano said. “Nonetheless, any bit you can do to help your family budget is the key.”
Zambrano also said that while going solar is a great place to end up, it may not be the best place to start.
“If you call me and I walk into your home, the very last thing I talk about is solar,” Zambrano said. “I need to make sure that the home itself isn’t bleeding out energy, that your breaker panel is up-to-par, that you don’t have nonexistent insulation in a 1950s buildout from a house that hasn’t had any upgrades. Also, single pane windows if you want to upgrade that. Can we do window tint? Can we do solar screens on the windows? These little nuances add up.”
When it comes time to move, having solar panels can be an attractive selling point -- especially if you own them. If you are simply leasing the system, keep in mind that the buyer will have to agree to take over the lease and may even have to qualify to do so.
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