July 14, 2006
It's Hotter Than...
My apartment is sweltering and I have my air conditioning running all the time. I'm so afraid of what my electric bill will look like. How can I minimize the bill?
It's the dead of summer, 90% humidity in the city, and it is hard to keep cool without air conditioning. However, with many people wanting to conserve energy and electric bills skyrocketing, here are some ways you can cut back your energy usage and still keep cool. You also get to keep a little extra cash in your pocket for a refreshing margarita.
There are basic ways to try to cool your apartment without using the air conditioning. A cooler apartment to begin with means that your unit doesn't have to work as hard, equaling reduced cooling costs. Start by keeping your shades closed during the day to reduce the amount of sunlight coming directly into your windows.
If you're lucky enough to have multiple windows, on two sides of your apartment, use cross ventilation. Put a fan in the window on the cool side of your dwelling - this will pull the cool air in and push the hot air out.
On days where it's a dry heat, you can cool your apartment by wetting sheets and hanging them in front of open windows. The dry hot air will cool down as it crosses the moisture barrier. Unfortunately, this will not work in humid climates, which is NYC most of the summer.
Ok, so you've tried to keep cool without turning to the AC, but you still are sweltering. The Minnesota Department of Commerce Energy Information Center gives some tips for reducing your energy usage.
Turn your AC off when you wont be there for awhile. It takes less energy to re-cool a dwelling than it does to keep it cool the entire time you are away. If you set your air conditioner at 78 degrees, you will save yourself about 15% or more on cooling costs over a 72 degree setting. Don't set the thermostat at a colder than normal setting. It doesn't cool the area any quicker, it will just waste energy. Clean or replace your filters once a month. Keep heat sources (tv's, lamps) away from your AC, the heat will make your AC run longer. The Alliance to Save Energy also says to avoid running a dehumidifier at the same time as the AC. It will increase the cooling load and force your AC to work harder.
Here are some other general energy saving tips that you can implement throughout your home to reduce the amount of energy you are using, resulting in a friendlier energy bill.
Turn off/unplug appliances you are not using.Many of these steps seem like very small measures but can really impact you energy usage and bill in the long run. Does anyone else have any other tips?Use task lighting instead of lighting an entire area. Dont use long-life incandescent bulbs, they are inefficient. Instead, use compact flourescent bulbs, which will save you about $40 over the life of the bulb. When buying bulbs, look for the most lumens per watt.
Refrigeration: make sure the gasket between the door and the compartment seals tightly. Keep the coils on the back or bottom clean and cool to keep it working at peak efficiency. Place your refrigerator as far away from heat sources (ovens, radiators, etc.) as possible. This in itself can prove to be a major challenge in many NYC apartments.
Most people think that they should run hot water while pouring grease down the drain in order for it not to clog. However, using cold water to rinse grease down the drain actually works better, preventing it from sticking to the pipes, while saving energy.
Cooking: Dont peek! Every time you open your oven you lose 25 degrees of heat. Turn off electric burners a few minutes before the food is done. The heat left will finish the cooking. Barbeque instead of cooking indoors!
Dishwasher - for the lucky ones who actually have one: Allow dishes to air dry. Use a cold rinse.
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Um yeah...stop being a big baby and learn how to acclimate yourself to the environment a little. Would most of you actually sleep in a room that cold, or hang out in an icebox of an office all day if the temperature outside was the same? Of course not. It was really disgusting the other night walking out of the rain, completely soaked, into a fully air-conditioned bar. I actually couldn't wait to get back out into the heat again.
Light A/C is fine when it's hot outside, and small children, the elderly, and the ill get a pass.
If you're used to using a dryer (if you've got one in house) skip it in favor of a clothesline... in a room or over the tub or on the outside (somehow).
Home Depot has compact fluorescent bulb 6 for $10 - it's perhaps the easiest way to save on your electric bill.
Cleaning the filter is a must do for the A/C. Use a timer to have it start-up at the right time - 15-20 minutes before you get home.
At a personal level, drinking a cold glass of water and taking a shower immediately after coming home is 10x better than just standing in front of the A/C.
And sign up for ConEd greenpower with is all hydro and wind!
One tip is to soak your sheets in cold water and then get a girl with big huge titties to fuck you in them.
Cool the room with AC like 2 hours before you go to bed, then just use a fan for the rest of the night......
You shouldn't be pouring grease down the drain in the first place.
Heat control window film, also found at Home Depot, has worked wonders in my apt. It's kind of a pain in the ass to install but has cut the heat and glare dramatically, and the hazy city looks crisper than through plain glass.
Keep the room dark and airy. Drink lots of water. Use a fan instead of an AC like the rest of the world. I'm tired of arrogant, wasteful Americans destroying the environment like fat pigs.
Open the windows at the top and the bottom, which also allows cross-circulation.
Lucky me I don't have Co-Ed, but Central Hudson up here in the Hudson Vally, which is LOT cheaper than Co-Ed rates when I used to live in the city.
Use cold water when doing laundry, for both wash and rinse cycles.
Use a clothesline...I've got one strung up in my basement. Its a pain, as my jeans often take up to 3 days to dry all the way when it gets humid, but it helps.
Zone your house or apartment, so you can set temps in individual rooms. This way, you can close the door and forget about AC in rooms you don't use, or set the thermostat to 55 in the same rooms in winter.
Turn off lights or appliances if you aren't going to be using them for 15 minutes.
Turn off your computer if you aren't using it. DOn't just put it in standby or sleep mode, turn it off all the way.
Take a lukewarm shower before bed, don't dry off but get into a cotton bathrobe.
Don't take long hot showers any time of year.
In winter, put that ugly plastic on all windows. It looks awful, its a pain to put up, but it cuts off a lot of drafts you don't even realize are there.
My last electric bill (and my place is all electric, no gas) was $47.
Here is what I did. http://keep-your-cool.blogspot.com/ Turned out pretty cool. I have a steady supply of 60-68 degree air.
Hey B-Dog and not-a-baby: Go fuck yourselves.
The poster asked how to maintain their level of comfort, not yours.
I guess it takes less effort to keep yourselves cool; what with your heads up your asses and all, thats, like, 10% less surface area.