There’s nothing quite like walking into a nice, cool home after a day in the hot summer sun. But, that luxury can come at the price of skyrocketing electrical bills. In 2019, the typical U.S residential electricity bill was expected to average $137 per month in the summer. Energy bills skyrocket in summer due to overworked air conditioners, poor airflow, and ill-prepared windows If you’re interested in lowering your bills, you may want to invest in an AprilAire Dehumidifier to better your basement air quality. Keep reading for some expert energy saving tips.

Why Energy Bills Skyrocket in the Summertime

In general, there are three reasons why your energy bills skyrocket in the summer.

• Your Air Conditioner is Working Overtime: Air conditioners have two jobs. One is to cool the air and the other is to dehumidify the air. Essentially, your air conditioner is doing the job of two appliances all by itself.
• Your Air Conditioner Only Runs Based on Temperature: Having your A/C run based on your home’s humidity is preferred because when your home reaches its ideal temperature, your air conditioner shuts off. During those hours without active cooling, there’s also no active dehumidification. As a result, your indoor Relative Humidity (RH) rises. And, once your A/C kicks back on, it has to climb uphill to try and dehumidify the air again and cool your home at the same time.
• Excessive Humidity Changes Your Home’s Real-Feel: In hot, humid climates, high humidity prevents our body from releasing heat through sweat. This is due to sweat being unable to evaporate or evaporating slower. While sweat evaporates, it’s supposed to help transfer our body’s heat into the air, but because the heat isn’t transferring as quickly around us, our humid home feels much warmer than it actually is. This feeling causes us to lower our thermostats in search of relief, causing our A/C units to work overtime, repeating the cycle.

What Can You Do to Energy Bills Skyrocketing in Summer?

The best course of action is to pair your air conditioner with an AprilAire dehumidifier for basement or crawl space usage.

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Think of your A/C unit and dehumidifier as a dynamic duo, capable of taking on heat and humidity together more efficiently. These two together will allow your home to maintain a consistent level of humidity while your air conditioner lightens its load and focuses largely on keeping your home cool.

Bonus: AprilAire dehumidifiers cost about $189 less to run during the summer than a cheaper retail model. Our models also drop Relative Humidity (RH) 3% below the set point to greatly reduce compressor cycling and energy use.

Enjoy These Energy Saving Tips

Looking for more ways to save energy?

Try these methods:

• Keep your relative humidity between 40-60% year-round for the best possible environment.
• Use a programmable thermostat to keep your home cool at pertinent points throughout the day. This will prevent your air conditioner from working overtime. As a general rule, aim to keep your home warmer when you’re not home and cooler when you are.
• Manage humidity by improving drainage, ensuring properly vented laundry, and repairing leaky outdoor faucets, according to Energy Star.

Overall, maintaining Healthy Humidity in the summertime can not only help you save money but can also help improve your overall well-being. It’s also an important aspect of breathing Healthy Air, but beware, too much humidity can be a breeding ground for mold, pests, viruses, and bacteria which can irritate your lungs and heighten allergy and asthma symptoms.

By improving your basement air, you can benefit from overall better health, less stress, better sleep, and happiness for you and your family.

Take the first step with one of our caring Healthy Air Professionals. They can help you choose the right whole-home dehumidifier today. Find a pro in your area.

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