Reduce Heat Produced In The House To Keep Home Cool, SMUD Says
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Triple-digit temperatures are here for the weekend and SMUD has some tips for keeping your energy bill down while still keeping your house cool.
SMUD says the key to an efficient home is keeping cool air in while reducing the amount of heat produced in the house.
Closing blinds, not running the stove or dryer during the day, and setting a programmable thermostat at 78 degrees are simple steps to keep costs down, but SMUD says you can do even more. For example, replacing those old incandescent light bulbs with LED lighting.
"They were $40 a few years ago and now they're $4 to $5 or even less," said SMUD spokesperson Chris Capra. "That's a great way to go."
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Capra says one of the best ways to tell if your home is running efficiently is by getting a home energy audit. SMUD has a list of contractors that will come to your home and look to see exactly where you're leaking cash.
Dave Lafferty with Brower Mechanical says getting an energy audit can save customers hundreds down the line.
"We come out and assess your home and determine where you're losing that cooling and determine what's the best fit for your home," Lafferty said.
Arif Azeen is a Sacramento homeowner originally from Pakistan where he says temps can reach 115 degrees during the day. While he says the heat doesn't bother him, he does like to save money and sticks to a routine. Azeen keeps his blinds closed during the day, only runs the air conditioning for an hour during bedtime, and relies on the Delta breeze and fans to keep things cool.
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"You don't need air conditioning in the evening in the house," Azeen said.
Capra says some solutions, like replacing old appliances with new more energy efficient ones, require more of an investment, but the cost savings are worth it over time.
He says customers can find up to $8,000 worth of rebates by getting an audit, replacing some appliances, and making other home insulating changes.
You can find more information on the SMUD Energy Store website.
