You Know What’s Cool this Summer? Energy Efficiency

Recent projections indicate Michigan will be seeing a warmer and more humid summer than usual this year. Many families are opting for staycations over vacations this year, which can mean higher energy costs as we all try to beat the heat.

Fortunately, AMP’s been focusing on energy efficiency on the blog and in social media. Now it’s time to take some of the energy-efficiency tips we’ve been discussing and put them to good use.

The AMP Energy Efficiency Challenge

Our challenge to AMP members is simple—for the rest of the summer, take at least three steps to improve your energy efficiency. If you’re feeling up to an even bigger challenge, make that five—or however many you can do!

Here’s a list of 15 easy energy efficiency actions you can take at home to help you get started:

1. Turn off the lights when you leave a room—every time you leave a room.
2. Avoid turning on lights in the first place by using natural lighting whenever possible.
3. Shut off the water when brushing your teeth or washing your hands.
4. Use ceiling fans to help keep the temperature lower without having to run your AC.
5. Replace old light bulbs with new, more efficient ENERGY STAR ones.
6. Change air filters regularly during peak use (once per month during the summer).
7. Keep your AC in tune by having a professional perform routine maintenance.
8. Close blinds or curtains to keep the heat of the sun out.
9. Seal cracks around windows and doors to keep the cool air in and hot air out.
10. Plug appliances into a power strip, and unplug it when you’re not using those devices.
11. Clean out your fridge regularly—but keep it about 2/3 full to optimize air circulation.
12. Get an energy audit—local energy providers will usually perform one at no charge!
13. If you can make the investment, switch to ENERGY STAR appliances.
14. Invest in a programmable or smart thermostat to automatically raise and lower the temperature.
15. Install sensors to automatically turn lights on and off in rooms people only use occasionally.

If you’re a business owner, check out this list of ways you can increase energy efficiency at your place of business.

Adopting just a few of these practices will help lower your energy use, protect our natural resources, and help Michigan secure the cleaner, more reliable energy future we all deserve. And, if that’s not enough, you might even save some money along the way!

Let us know what you’re doing to up your energy efficiency game by posting on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #AMPEnergyEfficiency. Be sure to share the challenge with your friends, family, and associates and encourage them to get involved!