Much like winter, summer in the Denver area can cause our HVAC systems to run nonstop, racking up our energy bills. While we welcome the beautiful warm summer temperatures, our homes can feel like a sauna real quick if the air conditioning isn’t constantly running.
You’ve probably set your thermostat somewhere between 70-75° during the summer. While we rely on our HVAC systems to keep our homes cooler, there are some measures you can take to keep your home cool and more energy-efficient. Keep reading for 4 tips for keeping your home energy-efficient this summer so you can stay cool while saving some money on your energy bills.
1. Block the Sun
Most of us lower our blinds in the evening for some privacy and open them in the morning to let the sunlight in. While blinds offer privacy they also offer protection against the heat. Lowering your blinds in the late morning and leaving them closed until the early evening hours will keep your home much cooler as opposed to leaving them open all day. You can even take it a step further by investing in some blackout curtains that can block out even more heat than blinds alone. Not only will closing the blinds and using blackout curtains keep the heat out, but it’ll also keep your home warmer in the winter.
2. Avoid the Oven
Most people use their stove or ovens to cook meals throughout the day, especially dinner. While you can make some delicious meals using your oven, it will make your home less energy-efficient during the summer months. Every time you turn on the oven, open the oven door or use the stovetop, the temperature inside your home will increase. The increase in temperature will cause your HVAC system to run even more to keep your home at 70-75° or whatever you have your AC set to.
Rather than cook every meal on the stove or in the oven, take advantage of the grill and cook more meals outside. While it is more convenient to cook indoors, your home will be much cooler as a result of grilling outdoors. Whether you have a charcoal or gas grill, cooking outdoors will keep your home cooler and will result in lower energy bills (oh, and delicious food of course).
3. Counter-Clockwise Ceiling Fans
While ceiling fans won’t decrease the temperature in your home, they can keep you cooler; ceiling fans move stagnant air around a room and as a result, can make a room feel cooler without actually lowering the temperature. Using fans in conjunction with your A/C will keep you cooler, allowing you to increase your thermostat a few degrees and save a little on your next energy bill. When you do turn on your ceiling fans, be sure to set them to run counterclockwise rather than clockwise. Changing the direction of the spinning blades will allow the air being circulated to push down, making you feel cooler and creating that wind effect.
While it sounds like it’ll add quite a bit to your monthly energy bills, running a ceiling fan as opposed to running an air conditioner can use less than ⅓ of the energy it takes to run an air conditioner. If you opt to run your ceiling fans for a long time then feel free to turn your thermostat up a few degrees to see a noticeable difference in your energy bill. Just be sure to turn ceiling fans off when you leave the room as again, they don’t lower the temperature in a room.
4. Improve Insulation
Another way to keep your home more energy-efficient this summer is to improve your home’s insulation. Here’s a quick refresher on how insulation works: it slows down convective and conductive heat to move air to areas of your home. It keeps warm air inside your home during the winter months and blocks hot air from entering your home during the summer months. If you notice some rooms in your home are warmer than others then it’s probably because of poor insulation. Not only can poor insulation increase your energy bills, but it can also affect your home’s gutter system during the winter months by allowing heat to escape the home, melting snow and ice that results in ice dams.
There are many reputable insulation companies in the Denver area, so be sure to contact one if you notice ice dams in your gutters during winter or if your home has a hard time retaining cool air in the summer.
Implementing any of the tips above should save you some money on your next energy bill. While a new gutter system won’t keep your home cooler, the K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System will keep your home drier, resulting in less moisture that’s allowed to creep into your attic. Moisture in your attic heats things and makes the air overall musty. In addition, the K-Guard Gutter System resists buckling, something that can occur with other gutter systems during the extreme summer heat.
Our gutter product can withstand all weather conditions including heavy downpours, hail, and strong wind gusts, three weather conditions that happen often during the summer months here in Denver, Aurora, Colorado Springs, and surrounding cities. The K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System can handle a minimum of 23 inches of rain per hour all while keeping debris out. Our gutter system is so durable that it’s guaranteed transferable for the life of the home so it’ll never show signs of wear and tear due to the elements throughout the years.
Contact our team today to learn more about the K-Guard System or call (970) 432-8093. K-Guard is the premiere gutter company in Colorado, providing a leaf-free gutter solution for homeowners for many years. We proudly install the K-Guard Gutter System across the state of Colorado including, but not limited to, the following locations: Denver, Colorado Springs, Littleton, Centennial, Aurora, Boulder, Castle Rock, Broomfield, Fort Collins and so much more! Schedule your free estimate today.
