We spend hundreds of dollars on heating and cooling our homes each year, yet simply by taking advantage of natures cycles we could be saving a tidy sum.
Here’s how mother nature can help lower your energy bills:
Using a Ceiling Fan to Warm the Room in Winter
Yes you read that right….. everyone knows that a ceiling fan is an effective way of cooling a room down during the hot summer months, but did you know that you can also use it to keep the room warm in the winter?
Ceiling fans are able to move clockwise and anticlockwise and this makes a difference to its effect on the airflow. During the summer you should use the fan in a counterclockwise direction to cool the warm air. Experts say that a months use of a fan only costs around 70 cents per months in comparison to a single room air conditioner which costs around 9$.
In the winter you can use the fan on a very low-speed in a clockwise direction to help keep the warm air in the room. The angle of the blade pushes the air back down, meaning that if you are heating a room, this low-speed air movement will keep the nice warm air in the mid section of the room and prevent it all from leaving through the ceiling. Research shows that you could be making a 2% saving on your heating bill by using this method.
Using the Earth’s Daily Patterns
One of the most effective ways of lowering your energy bills is by cutting down on the amount of appliances you are using to heat and cool your home. During the hot summer months you can take advantage of the cooler temperatures in the night-time by opening the windows and letting the built up warm air escape. This means that it will take longer for the house to heat up again the next day.
You can also use shutters to keep the sun out of your home as this will dramatically reduce the speed at which temperatures rise. If you have any south-facing windows you should keep them shuttered up during the day time as this could save a significant amount on cooling costs.
Even better than this, planting a large tree to the side of your home can create a lot of shade, as it also helps to reduce the heating effect of the sun on your home. This would also be a great opportunity to educate your kids on energy efficiency. Check out this Energy Savings eBook for Kids if you’re looking for even more ideas on teaching these topics to children.
Using Off-Peak Time Patterns to Your Advantage
Electricity does not cost the same amount throughout the day and you can use this to your advantage by running any appliances that are not time specific during the off-peak times. During the night electricity is cheaper than between 9am and 9pm. By running your washing machine, dishwasher, water heater, other appliances during the night-time you could save a lot of money over the course of a month or a year.
With a little bit of thought and planning it’s possible to use mother nature (as well as some other little tricks) to lower your energy bills.
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