Thumbnail image from Pixabay
By Andre Sowerby-Thomas
With everyone spending more time at home, along with record-breaking high temperatures, your air conditioner (A/C) is working hard to keep you cool. Floridians are looking for ways to save during these challenging times – and your energy bill is the perfect place to start.
Save energy while:
Working from home
- Your computer needs some rest in between virtual conference calls. Use sleep mode when inactive to achieve savings up to $20 per year for each computer.
- Save up to 30 percent by using smart power strips to regulate energy use on equipment like computers, scanners and printers. Smart power strips cut power off as they detect when a device is in standby mode.
Eating at home
- Bake several dishes at a time using the smallest appliance you need to get the job done or your outside grill. Using smaller appliances instead of the stove top saves money on energy usage. They also do not heat up your house as much as larger appliances, keeping your A/C unit from working harder.
Playing at home
- Your TV, routers and cable boxes are probably getting a lot of use right now. Increased use of TVs and systems will not raise your bill significantly (approx. $8-$15 per month), but still make sure that they are turned off or unplugged when not in use.
- Turn off fans/lights when you leave a room.
Saving together at home
- With everyone at home, the laundry seems to overflow daily. Adjust your washing machine to the appropriate water level for each load and clean the lint filter in your dryer before every load to minimize drying time.
- Set your thermostat to 78°F or higher with the fan switched to auto – each degree increase can save up to 5 percent on cooling costs.
- Keep bedroom and other doors open to help air flow.
Monitor and manage your energy use with the FPL Energy Analyzer to become a saving pro all year long. This free tool provides an itemized breakdown of energy use and offers more simple saving tips to different kinds of energy users. Activate your free FPL Energy Analyzer today, and check back to see how these changes can help lower your bill.
Andre Sowerby-Thomas is FPL’s Home, Business and Energy Solutions and Ask the Expert residential expert. He is based in FPL’s central Broward office and has been with the company for 15+ years. Andre spearheads the safety culture of his business unit as its safety lead. In his free time, Andre enjoys listening to music, spending time with his family, renovating his home, jet skiing and playing video games.
