4/15/11

8 Tips for an Arizona Summer

We know it's coming.  We watch the weather nightly, just to cringe at each rising degree.  I've said to Bryan countless times throughout the years, "Whoa.  It's gonna be in the 90s next week!" or, "Holy cow.  We're hitting 100 this weekend!"  Like it's some big surprise.    

The mercury rising does have its perks:  the pool becomes bathwateresque and, therefore, finally swimmable, I don't have to carry around a jacket at night, the laundry loads get lighter (have you seen the clothes teenage girls are wearing these days?)  These are joyful things, and I truly appreciate them. 

But then, there is the dreaded  ELECTRIC BILL.  This, I'm not very fond of.  Not.  At.  All.

So in the spirit of another Arizona scorcher approaching, I've compiled a list of things we lucky Zonies can do to help keep that utility bill at bay.      

1.  This one is the easiest.  Turn off the lights!  You would be surprised how many watts that light left on in the, uh-hum, tiny toilet room, is using.

2.  If you have a programmable thermostat, you're lucky, and you can set it to energy-saving levels when not home.  If not, it may be time for you to do some swimsuit trotting and set your T-stat to 78 degrees or above.    

3.  Another no-brainer:  replace incandescent lightbulbs with CFLs.  They last much longer and use 75% less energy.  

4.  Air dry your clothes.  The dryer is a huge sucker of electricity.

5.  Use power strips for appliances that don't need to run constantly, and turn the power off when you are not using them.  Easy!

6.  Use electical applicances less.  Do you really need to bake the lasagne in the oven for an hour and a half when you can pop it in the microwave for 17-25 minutes?

7.  HAVE A HOME ENERGY ASSESSMENT!  Yes, this is my business, and yes, this may be a shameless plug, but really it is another no-brainer.  We have lowered bills up to 40% right here in Phoenix.  Visit our website to see exactly what we do to lower those bills (http://www.greenerhousetoday.com/). 

8.  Use natural light, but use it wisely.  Blinds open on a large west-facing window at 4:00 in the afternoon will just make it hotter in there. 

Do you have a summer-saving tidbit?  I would love to hear it!