I love summer. Time to go to the beach, brunch with the girls, and walks in the park with bae.
But I hate how life gets expensive in the summer. Today I am going to share 3 ways to lower your electric bill and beat the summer heat!
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Close blinds and shades
The sun heats up your home/room. When your home is darker, it will be cooler. “Block Out” blinds are special blinds you can buy to block the sun and keep your home cooler. Now you can stay cool without running the air.
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Call for discounts
May people forget that you can call Georgia Power (or whoever your electric provider is) and ask for discounts. Electric companies have discounts and programs to help you keep your bill down.
One thing you can do if you are low income (which all of us adulting people are in one way or another) is ask for assistance for being low income.
Another discount you can call and ask for is to be a part of a “voluntary direct load control program). It sounds complicated and scary, but it isn’t super difficult. In this program you get bill credits (a discount) by allowing the electric company to install a control switch on your a/c, heater, and any other electric appliance. The company will then turn off the electric service during peak hours. Basically, the electric company will control your electric usage. I highly recommend asking questions such as:
How long will the services be turned off?
If it is an exceptionally hot day how will this affect me?
What is the set temperature for this service?
For some people this may be a very dramatic service but this could be a great option!
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Use electricity during off peak hours
Off peak hours are early morning (before 9am) and late at night (after 9pm). You have a 12 hour window to use electricity at a lower rate! Many electric companies have two rates for electricity; the higher rate is used during “peak” working hours. If you wash your clothes, cook, use appliances and more during off peak hours you can significantly reduce your bill.
Also by not using a dryer and oven during the day you can keep your home from heating up because these appliances generate heat.
I hope these tips can help you keep a low bill during the summer! Let me know if you try any of these or if you have other tips to keep your summer electric bill low!
XOXOX Kay
