Watts Up?

Don’t let the dog days of summer bite into your bills

By Christina Sawyer

The dog days of summer are here. While summer may bring more daylight, more fun and more time with family, it can also bring a surprising uptick in your electric bill. Even in areas like ours, where daytime temps are relatively mild, there’s something about summer that nudges energy use higher. It isn’t always obvious, but the culprit often lies in how we live when the days are long and our schedules feel relaxed. When children are home more often, electronics stay on longer. Televisions hum in the background all day. Gaming consoles are left in standby mode. Tablets charge and recharge. Teens stay up late streaming movies, and the fridge works overtime supplying cold drinks and snacks for everyone. Even when your thermostat isn’t the issue, this subtle shift in household activity can lead to increased use in several areas:

• Entertainment electronics: Game
systems, smart TVs, Bluetooth speakers— these devices often draw power even when off.

• Extra laundry and showers: Wet towels,
swimsuits and summer activities mean more water heating and appliance use.

• More cooking and reheating: Summer
means more mouths to feed and more meals cooked or microwaved at home.

• Fans or conditioning units running longer hours: Even window units that are efficient by design can become wasteful when seals aren’t tight or filters are dirty. You don’t have to give up convenience or comfort to be more efficient. Even small adjustments can have a noticeable impact on your energy use.

• Unplug electronics and appliances—Such as TVs, gaming consoles, coffee makers and chargers—to avoid phantom power use while you’re away.

• Set your water heater to “vacation mode,” or turn it off at the breaker if you’ll be gone more than a few days.

• Raise the thermostat on your air conditioner or turn it entirely if no one will be home for an extended period of time. Close blinds and curtains to keep the sun from heating up your house and running the air conditioning while it’s empty.

• If you have outdoor lighting for
security, use motion-sensor or timer- based lights instead of leaving them on continuously.