When the weather gets hot and humid, your appliances, fans and air conditioning units work overtime to keep you cool, which means they use more energy. This is especially true during extreme heat waves, like most of Southeast Michigan experienced in June. This increased energy use last month also means you should expect to see a higher energy bill – up to 10% or more, depending on how much energy you used to stay comfortable.
We know how important it is to take control of your energy budget, so DTE has tips, tricks and tools to help you manage your energy use and bills all summer long.
What impacts my energy bill?
Keeping your home cool can demand a lot of energy. Managing your electric use when the weather is hot and humid is key to controlling your monthly energy costs. When it comes to comfort and control, it’s important to remember the four factors to help you and your energy bill stay cool this season.
- Energy Usage:Half of the cost of your energy bill comes from cooling your home. Adjust your thermostat to pre-cool your home before 3 p.m. to take advantage of lower, off-peak rates.
- Fluctuation in Temps:When things heat up outside, turn your thermostat up a few degrees or to the recommended summer setting of 78 degrees to keep energy costs down.
- Monthly Billing Cycle:Cycles can run from 26 to 35 days, so monthly bills may vary based on the number of days.
- Household Changes:Are your kids home for the summer? More people in your home can mean more electric use.
What tools are available to help me lower my energy usage?
DTE’s free energy usage tools make it easy to learn how you use energy so you can make the right decisions for your household’s budget this summer. Sign in to or create your online account and use the Bill Analyzer tool at the “Analyze my Bill” link to help you:
- Analyzeyour energy usage by the hour or month
- Calculateyour DTE bill based on changes you make
- Discoverwhat appliances use the most energy in your home
- Try out a new electric rate to see how it could impact your projected bill
- Understandhow outside factors, such as the length of the billing period or weather, can impact your bill
- Estimatethe cost of charging an electric vehicle
Download the free DTE Insight App to help you see, understand, manage and control the energy used to power your home. Use the Insight App to receive energy usage recaps, set budgets and track goals – right in the palm of your hand.
What can I do to lower my energy bill in the summer?
When temperatures rise, so do bills. Take control of your energy use by applying these low-cost, no-cost energy-saving tips to not only keep you cool and comfortable, but also keep your energy bill down.
- Use appliances in the evening.Postpone doing laundry or dishwashing until after 7 p.m. when outdoor temperatures have cooled down a bit, and rates are lower. These appliances can add heat and humidity to your home.
- Shade your home.Close curtains and shades on sun-facing windows to keep the heat out and your home cool and comfortable.
- Turn on your ceiling fans.Fans help keep people cool, not rooms. Be sure to turn them off when leaving a room to help save energy.
- Clear your AC.Make sure you keep your AC system free of leaves and other debris, have the system serviced regularly, replace your air filter monthly or as needed, and shut off vents to unused or unoccupied rooms to help reduce your cooling costs.
- And if it’s comfortable enough, grill outsideinstead of your using your oven to cook, which adds extra heat into your home, especially in the afternoon when the outdoor temperatures hit their peak. If you do have to cook in the kitchen, turn on your exhaust fan to move the hot air outside.
- Let your dishes air dryin the dishwasher instead of using the heated drying feature, which can leak heat into your kitchen, raising indoor temperatures and humidity levels.
- Adjust your programmable thermostatto pre-cool your home before 3 p.m. or turn your thermostat up a few degrees when you know you won’t be home.
Learn more ways to stay cool and lower your energy bill at dteenergy.com/staycool.
About Post Author
