Cool down your summer with savings beyond solar

Living in a province that has a mere 80 degree swing every 12 months, the blazing summers often leave us Manitobans missing the autumn cool breeze. With the rising temperatures, say hello to rising bills.

With our thermostats going into overdrive to keep our homes cool this summer, I bet you can guess the first recommendation we have to save a little money is always to go SOLAR. Using solar to offset your costs is a no brainer and what we are passionate about. There are a lot of different ways to go solar which includes: Grid tie: which in layman’s terms mean you connect to the grid and sell back what your system over produces to the utility or if the grid isn’t available, the other option is to go off-grid.

“Start small and grow”

Keep in mind, if you are interested in going solar there is an opportunity to start small and grow your system over time. You can work with our team to build a system that fits your needs today with room for you to grow in the future.

If you are looking to reduce your carbon footprint using solar energy, it’s also important to learn to conserve energy. Here are some tips to help you start your energy saving journey to ultimately reduce your overall electric bill and stay cool this summer.

1. Set your thermostat right.

Rather than the “set it and forget it” mentality consider this: set your thermostat around your daily habits. If your home is empty adjust your homes temperature a 7-10 degrees higher in the summer or lower in the winter. This will maintain either a cooler or warmer home and then simply readjust to a more comfortable temperature when you are home.

Important tip: Switch your current thermostat to a smart thermostat that can automatically adjust for you.

2. Turn off the lights.

Remember when you were a kid and your parents used to nag you to turn off the lights in the bathroom when you are done or take off the Television when you aren’t watching it. Same rule applies here. The simple act of turning off the lights when you aren’t in the room reduces your utility bill and consumption. Adding this habit to your daily routine also increases the longevity of your lightbulbs and ultimately means you need to make less runs to the store to grab new ones.

Hot tip: If you often forget to turn off the lamps, televisions or any electronic consider getting timers that are programmable or smart technology that can be controlled by an app that can be conveniently installed on your phone.

3. Take cooler and shorter showers.

After a long day, we all appreciate a hot steamy long shower, however consider taking a cooler, shorter showers in the hot summer months. For double savings you’ll consume less water and reduce the dependancy on your water heater.

4. Wash and dry full loads of laundry

No matter the size of the load, your washer and dryer will still use the same amount of energy, it just makes sense to to do a full load. That being said don’t over fill your dryer, if your dryer is too full it will take a longer cycle to dry wet damp clothes. Don’t forget to remove any lint build up after every use to encourage that air to freely circulate with each cycle.

Hot tip: Use dryer balls. Wool or rubber dryer balls tumble with your clothes to separate them, this creates more air to circulate through your garments and cuts dryer time. As an added bonus you can ditch dryer sheets as these balls also reduce static.

5. Weather strip doors and windows

Weather stripping is a cost efficient way to keep the cool air in and the hot air out in the summer months (vice versa in the winter). Essentially sealing off any leaks or bubbles in your doors and windows, which prevents your ac unit from going into overdrive. Weather stripping is a simple solution any home owner can install themselves.

Your journey to reduce your carbon footprint may start with solar, however these daily habits can lead you to a more sustainable lifestyle. Reducing your consumption and avoiding unnecessary waste can definitely save you money, reduce your utility bill and ultimately reducing your carbon footprint.