Cool tips to help you save for future heating bills

After a winter of keeping the heat as low as you could tolerate, warm weather comes as a relief. Unfortunately, the chilling worry about how you’re going to pay for next season’s heating bills does not melt away in the summer’s heat.

It may help to realize there are cool things you can do in the summertime to save a little money toward those winter bills. To get started, take a look at your summer energy use and your at-home habits.

It’s a no-brainer to shun using an air conditioner unless you absolutely need it for health reasons. If you’re accustomed to relying on one, you may not realize that there are other ways to keep indoor temperatures bearable. They include opening windows when the temperature is cool and closing them during the heat of the day. Those curtains or shades that you threw open in winter to bring solar heat into your home now can be kept closed to prevent direct sunlight from heating up your house.

An appliance that runs more than ever in summer is your refrigerator. It is also more heavily used. Remind yourself – and teach children – that every time you open the refrigerator door, the appliance has to work hard to recool the air that has been let in. Avoid lingering with the door open by deciding what you need before you open the fridge. Be aware that keeping the freezer full and the rest of the fridge less packed helps with energy efficiency. That’s because frozen items act like blocks of ice, helping to cool the enclosed space where they are stored, while nonfrozen items require constant cooling to remain chilled. If you don’t have loads of food to fill the freezer, make your own blocks of ice in plastic containers, remembering to leave space for expansion when you fill those containers.

An energy-consuming appliance that may be off your radar in the summer is your hot water heater. It may save energy to turn this off, particularly if you are going to be away for a period of time. If you are in doubt about how to do this safely and whether or not you should turn this on and off with any kind of regularity, contact your energy provider or maintenance person to learn more.

Those who hang out their clothes to dry instead of using an expensive electric or gas clothes dryer know two joys: They save on bills and enjoy the pleasure of fresh-smelling laundry. To avoid stiffness in towels and to tame wrinkles in other fabrics, consider placing some items in the dryer briefly before hanging them out to finish drying.

Fabric softener can also be a plus here.