Summer is the time for grilled food, pool parties, and swapping stories around the bonfire. Hosting a backyard barbecue is a great way to get the family together, and an even better opportunity to meet and greet your neighbors or reconnect with friends.
With all of this outdoor summertime fun, you have to be careful not to drive up your electricity usage! Here are a few tips that may help you reduce your electric usage, while still having fun and enjoying your summer.
- Citronella candles over electric zappers. Mosquitos are the worst killjoys in history, and while it may be tempting to light them up, keeping them at bay with citronella is much easier.
- Use LED bulbs for outdoor lighting. This alone can save you hundreds of dollars every summer, especially if you keep your yard lit up late.
- Go solar. Pool pumps, phone charging stations, pathway lights, pool lights, and even entire appliances can be solar powered. Solar technology is getting cheaper and more accessible by the day, so why not make the most of it?
- Grill more. Cooking over fire is the most energy-efficient way to prepare food, so make extra and tuck the leftovers away for the rest of the week. Enjoy grilled steak and chicken for days, and find new ways to spruce up your household menu by looking online for tips, tricks, and recipes.
- Conserve water. For outdoor showers, try installing a low-flow showerhead to avoid wasting more water than necessary while rinsing off.
- Utilize trees in your yard and around your patio. Trees not only look great in your backyard, they provide vital shade for the summertime! Place them strategically around the areas you spend the most time in, and bask in the cool shade when it gets too hot to sunbathe.
- Turn off the air conditioning while you’re outside. You can turn it on again a half hour before you go back in, but there’s no point in cooling an unoccupied area, especially if you have people coming in and out and letting the cold air escape.
- Decorate with drought-resilient plants. Not only do they require less water to grow and thrive, if you forget to water them or experience a drought, you can rest easy knowing your garden won’t wither away.
Gather your friends, family, and let the pets out to play. Summer is more fun with company, and by making the outdoors a fun place to hang out, you will use less time inside using electricity. Whether you’re sitting by the pool or just chatting over a patio table, make the most of your summer and enjoy it… all while taking steps to reduce usage!
Sources:
https://www.renovateamerica.com/blog/home-efficiency/water-saving-landscaping-backyard
https://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/summer-loving-energy-efficient-outdoor-lighting
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