Here at Lake Nacimiento, our summers usually get pretty hot! Luckily, if you live on the lake, you always have the water to put your feet in or to jump into to cool down. Still, chances are, you’ll have the air-conditioning running in your house, and according to Yahoo Finance, household energy bills are expected to grow by two percent a year through 2040.

As your Lake Nacimiento real estate agent, I’d like to share some of the tips that Yahoo Finance recommended for lowering your air-conditioning bill and saving money:

• Install solar screens. Windows account for up to 60 percent of the cost of cooling a home, so solar screens are a great way to block the heat from entering. They go on the outside of windows and are made of thick mesh. Of course, closing your blinds on the windows that get the most direct sun can always help, too.

• Put up window awnings. These block direct sunlight but allow you to keep your blinds open. They can cut solar heat by up to 65 percent on south-facing windows and 77 percent on west-facing windows.

• Change A/C filters. The filters should be changed monthly while the unit is in use. The dirtier your filter is, the harder the unit has to work. You also risk the chance of the unit breaking down. Change the filters, and serve the air conditioner twice yearly.

• Install programmable thermostat. This will cost you money upfront but can save you tons of money down the road, in both summer and winter. During hours when no one is home, you can turn the A/C off or down, and then schedule it to start running again before you get home. Same goes for the heat!

• Seal ducts, windows and doors. Just like in the winter with heat, you don’t want air to be escaping out any cracks or leaks. You can use duct tape or metal tape to seal around your ducts, and then use weatherstripping or caulking for around windows and doors.

• Barbecue! Cooking in the kitchen will cause your kitchen space to heat up, which in turn will cause your A/C to run harder. Stick to salads or sandwiches inside, or cook your food on the grill outside! If you live on Lake Nacimiento, you can enjoy beautiful lake views while grilling and eating outside.

The Yahoo Finance article includes a lot more tips, such as planting shade trees by the windows, using ceiling fans correctly, unplugging electronics, closing certain doors and registers, and more.

Keep cool this summer in Central California while keeping your energy bills down with these helpful tips. When you’re ready to buy a Lake Nacimiento home, so you have a lake to cool off in whenever you want, contact me! As your Lake Nacimiento real estate agent, I’d love to help.

From Grace Borzini
grace@oakshoresrealty.com