Summer Scorch: Take Time to Beat the Heat

We are a few days shy of the summer solstice on June 21; but true to form, the summer heat has already spiked in the Midwest. If you are seeking ways to hurdle the heat waves of summer, the tips featured below are designed to cut expense by reducing energy and water consumption. While a number of resources promote different ways to conserve in the summer months, we thought we would revisit some of our favorites.

Appliances

• Forget the Stove:  Cook outdoors on the grill or use a microwave. Running your oven can raise the temperature in the kitchen by 10 degrees, increasing cooling costs two to five percent.
• Employ the Fans:  Turn up the thermostat and turn on a fan when you enter a room. Costing only two to five cents per hour to operate, a fan can make a room feel four to six degrees cooler without running your whole house system.

Fuel

• Lighten the Load:  A vehicle with added weight gets less gas mileage as opposed to the same vehicle with lighter cargo.
• Purify the Ride:  Change the air filter in your car. Having a dirty air filter can cause your gas mileage to go down by one to two miles per gallon.
• Monitor Tire Pressure:  Having one tire that is two PSI (pounds per square inch) under the manufacturers recommended level can increase fuel consumption by nearly one percent. When temperatures change, the air in your tires will expand or contract causing the pressure in your tires to increase or decrease.

Lighting

• Lighting for Less:  Replace light bulbs with compact fluorescents. These cfl bulbs save money using 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs by emitting 90% less heat, providing additional savings on your cooling bill.

Water

• Skip the Sink:  A standard dishwasher uses about six gallons of water per load, while hand washing will require nearly 20 gallons to complete the same size load.
• Reuse and Recycle:  Collect water when rinsing fruits and vegetables or water used to boil food. This water can easily be reused to water plants around the house.
• Seek the Leak:  Leaking toilets often go overlooked, but can be costly. Checking a leaky toilet is simple, add food coloring to the tank and then wait about fifteen minutes. If the food coloring shows up in the bowl then a leak is present.