How can you save energy in your California home during a heat wave? See tips from experts
California’s energy prices are among the highest in the country — and the ongoing heat wave won’t make things better.
How can you save energy in your California home during a heat wave?
Here’s some tips from heating-and-cooling experts and utility companies:
Will setting my AC to 78 degrees save energy?
Setting your thermostat to 78 degrees during the hotter months is a good rule of thumb, according to Deione Brown, owner of Sacramento heating-and-cooling company Capital City Comfort, Inc.
By maintaining an inside temperature between 75 and 78 degrees, you can prevent your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system from overworking and reduce electrical costs, Brown told The Sacramento Bee.
PG&E and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District agree that 78 degrees is the ideal home temperature to save money.
SMUD advises customers to set their thermostats to at least 78 degrees in the summer and 68 degrees in the winter.
The community-owned electric utility said customers will “save around 5% to 10% on cooling costs for every two degrees you raise the temperature.”
Pacific Gas and Electric offered similar recommendations.
“When it is 110 degrees outside, your unit is working very hard to achieve 78 degrees inside, especially when compared to a 90-degree day,” PG&E wrote on its site.
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Does changing your air conditioning filters save you money?
Regularly changing or cleaning your HVAC filters every month during peak cooling or heating seasons will help lower your monthly bill, according to SMUD and PG&E.
“Dirty filters cost more to use, overwork the equipment, and result in lower indoor air quality,” SMUD said on its website.
Cleaning or replacing your filters monthly will “improve energy efficiency and reduce costs,” PG&E said.
Can blocking sunlight into your home lower your electricity bill?
Both SMUD and PG&E said blocking direct sunlight into your home will help you reduce energy costs.
Use shades and blinds to block direct sun into your home, SMUD said.
This can make it easier for your air conditioner to cool your home.
“Sunlight passing through windows heats your home and makes your air conditioner work harder,” PG&E said.
Will turning on the fan help?
Using fans to cool your home is cheaper than turning on the AC, SMUD spokeswoman Lindsay VanLaningham told The Bee in 2022.
To maximize the effectiveness of a fan, place it to face the wall opposite from where most of the activity takes place in your space.
This allows the air from the fan to hit the surface, bounce off and mix with the rest of the air in the room to effectively cool the space.
“Fans keep air circulating, allowing you to raise the thermostat a few degrees and stay just as comfortable, while reducing your air conditioning costs,” PG&E said.
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This story was originally published July 10, 2024 at 12:46 PM with the headline "How can you save energy in your California home during a heat wave? See tips from experts."
