Chattanooga Real Estate Blog

The summer brings warm weather and plenty of sunshine but it also brings high energy bills. There are ways to lower your bills during these hot months. You should first and foremost have energy efficient appliances, these will save you money in the long run as well. If you are in the market for an air conditioner make sure that the energy star label is on the unit. Most people end up buying air conditioners that are the incorrect size. If you get a unit that has too many BTU’s then you are wasting energy and if you get a unit where the BTU’s are too low then you are wasting energy because the air conditioner is not doing the job.

Most people work all day and they are out of the home, but there are some people in the heat of the summer that will put the air conditioning on so when they get home they will have a cool house. But instead of wasting energy during the day , try getting a timer. By placing the unit on a timer you can set the unit to go on a half an hour before you get home. The house will be cool and you did not have to have the air on for hours while no one is home.

To keep the house cool as well you should install ceiling fans , they actually lower the temperatures about 10 degrees. The circulating air definitely cools down the room . Plant trees and bushes that will create shade from eth outside. Grass is actually a heat absorber, if the sun hits the lawn the right way the grass will help diffuse the heat. You should keep all window shades and blinds closed during the day, by keeping them closed you can help keep out the heat. The cooler you keep your house without using the air conditioning you can save money.

Check the attic insulation, by insulating the attic it will keep the upstairs rooms cool. Install a house fan or attic fan, these fans are created to remove the hot air from the house by creating an opposite of circulating air, they actually suck the hot air out keeping the air cool. Make sure all of your windows and doors are weatherproof as well.