Electricity powers our homes year-round, but seasonal changes bring specific challenges and opportunities for improving energy efficiency and ensuring safety. This is especially true when looking for energy saving tips for summer and winter. This detailed guide dives deep into the practices homeowners should adopt to stay safe, reduce energy bills, and protect their homes in winter, summer, spring, and fall. It’s important to be prepared, no matter the season.
Jump to a Specific Season:
Fall: Preparing Your Home for Cooler Weather
Fall marks the transition to shorter days and cooler nights, making it the perfect time to ready your home for the challenges of winter. By addressing potential energy inefficiencies and safety risks, you can prevent common problems before they arise.
Inspect and Maintain Heating Systems
As temperatures drop, heaters become essential. Whether you’re using portable electric heaters, built-in units, or centralized systems, proper maintenance is crucial. Clean your heater’s filters and vents to ensure optimal performance. For portable heaters, always follow manufacturer guidelines and place them on level, non-flammable surfaces. Avoid using extension cords to power heaters, as they can overheat and become fire hazards.
Check Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Fall is a great time to test and replace batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. You may have even heard the mantra “change your clocks, change your batteries.” It’s a good habit to check the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors each time you change the clocks, so twice a year. It’s important to keep them fully powered and ready to provide critical warnings in case of overheating wires, fires, or gas leaks.
Check Furnaces and Heaters
Furnaces and heaters can malfunction, leading to dangerous situations. Fall is a great time to check your heating systems before you use them this winter.
If you have electric wall heaters, turn off the breakers and then clean them out before using the heater for the first time this season. Remove the cover and use a vacuum and a small brush to remove the dust and dirt build up.
For your furnace, it’s a good idea to have them inspected annually, and the fall is the perfect time to do it before you start using it regularly this winter.
Water Heater Maintenance
Make sure your hot water heater is operating at peak efficiency, which is especially important to check before winter arrives. Generally speaking, hot water heaters last about 10 years. Have a plumber inspect your hot water heater to make sure it’s still working properly.
Use Timers for Outdoor Lighting
Fall’s shorter days often lead to increased use of outdoor lights. Consider installing timers or motion sensors to limit energy usage without compromising security. LED lights for outdoor fixtures can save money compared to traditional incandescent bulbs.
Seal Windows and Doors
Drafty windows and doors can account for a significant loss of heat, forcing your heater to work harder. Inspect for gaps and use weather stripping or caulk to seal leaks. Energy-efficient windows and thermal curtains can further enhance insulation and reduce heating costs.
Check Outdoor Outlets
Outdoor outlets should be protected from the elements to prevent moisture, dirt, and debris from causing corrosion or short circuits, which can lead to electrical hazards. We recommend bubble covers for protection. They must also be GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) protected to safeguard against electrical shocks, especially in wet environments. GFCI outlets detect electrical imbalances and quickly shut off power, providing an essential safety feature for outdoor use where the risk of ground faults is higher. Properly protecting outdoor outlets ensures safe and reliable power for your exterior needs.
Winter: Keeping Your Home Warm and Safe
Winter’s extreme weather often results in increased energy consumption and heightened safety risks. Taking proactive measures can help you manage your utility bills and ensure electrical safety.
>>> Click here for a full guide to winter electrical safety
Invest in Efficient Heating Solutions
Space heaters are a common choice during winter, but they come with risks. Instead, opt for safer alternatives like electric wall heaters or floor heating, which provide effective warmth without compromising safety. Ensure that heating devices meet modern safety standards and have automatic shut-off features.
Backup Generators for Winter Emergencies
Winter storms can knock out power for hours—or even days. A Kohler home generator is a reliable solution for maintaining warmth and powering essential appliances during outages. Generators should always be installed by certified professionals, like Prairie Electric, to ensure safe operation.
Prevent Electrical Overloads
Holiday lights and additional appliances can easily overload circuits. Use surge protectors and distribute appliances across multiple circuits. Avoid plugging high-wattage devices, like heaters, into the same outlet to reduce the risk of overheating and electrical fires.
Use the Dryer Efficiently
Dry your loads one right after the other as this makes the most of the heat already in the dryer. Be sure to clean the lint filter before you run a load. When the filter is clogged with lint, the dryer needs more energy to get clothes dry. It’s also a fire hazard to have a dryer filter full of lint.
Keep Electrical Cords Visible
Electrical cords buried under rugs or furniture can overheat and pose a fire hazard. During winter, ensure cords are placed in open areas and inspect them regularly for signs of fraying or damage.
Lower the Thermostat and Bundle Up
Turn your thermostat down 10 to 15 degrees at night and when you’re not home during the day. This one step can result in 10 percent savings on your heating bills over the course of the year. And if you’re using a smart, programmable thermostat, you can automate these settings which is even more efficient. Or, from your phone you can warm the house a few minutes before arriving home instead of cranking it up when you arrive.
Bundle up! Invest in flannel sheets and a comforter for your bed. Your bedroom will be cooler, but you’ll stay warm and cozy even on the coldest nights.
Use Natural Light for Warmth
Despite all the overcast days so prevalent in the Pacific Northwest, the sun does come out occasionally. Solar heat is an excellent—and free—source of heat for your home. During the day, leave the curtains open on windows facing south. This lets in the warmth of the sun and naturally raises the temperature in your home.
When the sun goes down, pull your drapes and close your blinds so the warmth stays inside. It’s basically the same process during the summer, just in reverse. Depending on the age of your home, you may want to consider new energy-efficient windows. This is a pretty big upfront cost but will save you money during the following decades.
Spring: Optimizing Energy and Preparing for Storms
Spring is the season for fresh starts—and that applies to your home’s energy and safety measures too. Simple upgrades and proactive planning can make your home more efficient and resilient.
Switch to Energy-Efficient Lighting
As daylight increases, take advantage of natural light to reduce reliance on artificial lighting. Replace outdated bulbs with LED alternatives, which use significantly less energy and last longer. LEDs are available in various tones to match the ambiance of your home.
Spot Ventilation
Everyone knows what it’s like to walk into a condensated bathroom after someone has taken a shower or bath. Yuck. In order to reduce that muggy atmosphere quickly, many people open a window and allow the fog to clear. However, doing so can cool indoor temperatures and trigger your thermostat.
Instead, use a fan, vented to the outside of your home, to spot-ventilate areas like bathrooms and kitchens, reducing the need for compensatory energy use.
Prevent Air Leakage
This was already mentioned in our fall energy saving tips, but it bears repeating: seal those openings! Sealing these leakage points can help prevent your home from cooling or heating without your control and also keep your thermostat from triggering unnecessarily. Caulk or weatherstripping methods are excellent options for sealing those pesky air leaks around your doors and windows.
Even the smallest openings in your home’s exterior can create undesirable flows of cool and warm air, increasing the need for heating or air conditioning. Since we have a range of fluctuating weather and temperature in the spring in Oregon and Washington, it’s a great reminder to get those gaps sealed. The goal is to increase our energy efficiency and lower our energy bills.
Install Smart Thermostats
Smart thermostats can help regulate your home’s temperature based on your schedule. By programming your thermostat to reduce heating or cooling when you’re away, you can cut down on energy consumption without sacrificing comfort.
Unplug Idle Appliances
Devices like TVs, microwaves, and chargers draw power even when not in use. This “phantom load” can add up over time. Use power strips to easily switch off multiple devices or unplug appliances you rarely use.
Prepare for Spring Storms
Storm-related outages can disrupt daily life. Install surge protectors to shield sensitive electronics and consider a backup generator for uninterrupted power. Make sure all outdoor electrical fixtures are weatherproofed to prevent water damage.
Clean Refrigerator Condenser Coils
Before it gets too hot to want to tackle this annual task, clean the condenser coils of your refrigerator. Check the appliance manuals, YouTube, or do-it-yourself websites for how-to information. It’s important to keep them clean, particularly if the fridge is in an area that collects a lot of dust or pet hair. The fridge won’t have to work quite as hard to keep for your food cold, particularly in the impending hot summer months.
Summer: Staying Cool Without Breaking the Bank
The summer heat can strain electrical systems and drive up energy bills. With a few adjustments, you can keep your home cool and efficient.
Leverage Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans consume far less electricity than air conditioners and can effectively circulate cool air. Set the fan blades to rotate counterclockwise in summer to push air downward, creating a wind-chill effect.
Use Timers and Thermostats
Running your air conditioning 24/7 isn’t necessary. Use programmable thermostats to cool your home only during peak hours, and set timers to automatically turn off appliances when not needed.
Inspect Outdoor Wiring
Summer is the perfect time to examine outdoor wiring, especially if you plan to use exterior outlets for grills, pools, or landscaping lights. Ensure wires are properly insulated and free from damage to avoid hazards.
Seal Windows and Doors
Just like in winter, sealing gaps around windows and doors helps maintain indoor temperatures. Proper insulation prevents cool air from escaping, reducing the workload on your air conditioning system.
Air Dry Clothing
Take advantage of these warm, sunny days and dry laundry outside! It’s a great way to soak up some natural vitamin D while saving energy by using the dryer less often. The sun also is a great disinfectant and sanitizes materials better than laundry detergent and dryer heat.
If you ever line-dry clothing indoors, keep in mind that the moisture that evaporates into your space can potentially cause dampness issues or even mold and mildew. So if drying clothes on the line during rainy days, make sure to use ventilation such as fans to keep air moving.
Year-Round Safety and Efficiency Tips
Regardless of the season, there are universal practices every homeowner should adopt to ensure safety and efficiency.
Schedule Regular Inspections
Have a licensed electrician inspect your home’s electrical systems annually. They can identify outdated wiring, overloaded circuits, or other potential hazards before they become costly problems.
Change Out Air Filters
While using your heating and cooling systems, or even just using the fan for ventilation, your filters will become dirty and need to be regularly replaced. We recommend changing our your air filters monthly. This also improves energy efficiency since your appliances won’t have to work quite so hard to get the air through a nice clean filter.
Upgrade Electrical Systems
If your home still relies on an old fuse box or outdated wiring, consider upgrading to a modern electrical panel. This can improve energy efficiency, handle higher electrical loads, and enhance overall safety.
Install Energy-Efficient Appliances
In addition to conserving energy through the electrical system itself, you should also switch to more efficient appliances. Before purchasing an air conditioner, check its energy efficiency ratio (EER). You may also see SEER instead of EER, where the “S” stands for “Seasonal.” The higher the EER, the better. A score of 13 or more is best.
Educate Your Household
Make sure everyone in your home understands basic electrical safety, such as unplugging appliances during storms and avoiding overloading outlets. Teach children to stay away from outlets and cords.
Adopt Sustainable Practices
Incorporate energy-saving habits into your daily routine, like turning off lights when leaving a room, unplugging unused electronics (or turning off the power strips), and running appliances during off-peak hours. Small changes can lead to significant savings over time.
Trust Prairie Electric for All Your Electrical Needs
From energy-efficient upgrades to expert generator installations, Prairie Electric provides top-notch service tailored to every season. Whether you’re preparing for winter storms or optimizing your home for summer, our skilled electricians are here to help.
Contact us today for a no-obligation quote, installations, and consultations for residential, commercial, and industrial electrical needs in Vancouver, Ridgefield, and throughout the Pacific Northwest.
