Summer the absolute best time of the year.  The only downer about summer is the rising electricity bills.  It doesn’t help that thanks to climate change and global warming we are experiencing more intense summer heat around the globe, not to mention other irregularities in the weather like more droughts, tornadoes, and intense hurricanes.

Here in Cayman our glorious summer days whilst for the most part a blessing, it can be a curse, for instance the impact it has on our electricity bills,- you just can’t not run your air conditioning when living on an island (unless our famous Christmas breeze is waltzing through, then the A/C is trumped by the cool salty sea breeze).

Here are 10 Eco Tips that may help you lower your electricity bill or  at least help you avoid having your bill drastically increase over the summer.

Eco Tips For Saving Energy + Keeping Your Electricity Bill Manageable

1, Turn off the A/C when you are not home.  A/C is one of the biggest energy consumers. A/C is a must for island living, but we can still be energy efficient. Have your A/C filters cleaned regularly, for instance every 3-4 months to keep your A/C running at its optimal level.  Remember if your A/C is set at 75F or lower it will run up your bill much higher.

2. Laundry days, use cold water to wash your clothes.  Eco Fact: “About 90 percent of the energy used for washing clothes is for heating the water.” (TLC)

3. Skip the dryer and utilize the solar power in your backyard.  You guessed it, install a clothesline and let the sun dry your clothes.

4. Turn off your water heater when it is not needed.  When you think about it for the greater part of the day you don’t need your water heater.  Personally, I turn mine off for most of the day and then switch it on a few minutes before I need hot water.

Eco Fact: Water heating accounts for approximately 19 percent of total home energy use. (TLC)

5. Laptops- Set your computer to an automatic sleep or energy saving setting when you know that you will be away from you laptop for some time, or better yet turn it off when not in use.

6. Unplug! All your electronic gadgets and devices unplug them when they are not in use or are done charging.  Even at night, when you go to sleep, if you can, unplug the t.v. and other items.  Though electronic devices + gadgets are turned off whilst plugged in they are still consuming energy.  It might seem a bit of a pain but in the long run it will add up in savings.  Vacation always unplug items the best you can.

7.  Dirty Dishes- Run the dishwasher only when it’s completely full, if you only have a small amount of things to wash consider washing your dishes the old fashioned way and let them dry in a dish rack.

8. Turn off the fans.  If you aren’t in the room then turn off your fans.  When home running fans can help circulate air while the A/C is on to make the room feel cooler, this way you can have your A/C at a slightly warmer temperature yet comfortable.  When you can, open the windows and run your fans, let some natural air in.

9.  Keep your blinds closed to help reduce the heat coming into your home.  You may even want to consider buying special tinted screens for your windows to reduce heat.  Eco Tip: It’s always good to have plants close to your house, the shade will help keep your home cool. 

10.  Finally, turn off the lights if they are not needed.  Consider switching to energy efficient bulbs.  Use natural light whenever possible.

Hope these eco tips are helpful and help reduce your electricity bill over the summer or at least keep your bill manageable.

Enjoy the summer xo