Ways to save on your energy bill this summer

A few changes at home during these hot summer months can make a big difference on your monthly power bill.

From upgrading appliances to simply unplugging a power cord, it adds up.

Imperial Irrigation District will come to your home and do a free energy audit to help you learn where you can save.

CBS Local 2 and News Channel 3 followed along for an audit.

“Basically in the beginning what I look for on the outside is what kind of lighting they have available, a lot of what has been changed. Here she already has CFL, compact florescent light bulbs, which are more efficient compared to an incandescent light bulb,” said Darrin Marquez, who conducted the energy audit.

The same goes for lights inside. Marquez said another reason to switch to CFL bulbs is the old bulbs also give off heat.

“Ninety percent of the electricity that an incandescent light bulb uses is wasted in heat, only 10 percent goes to making light, so that is why they are so inefficient,” said Marquez.

Marquez with IID said old appliances and air conditioners can also use a lot of power.

“If you are looking at a 10-year-old unit and you were to replace it with some of the more higher efficient units, you are looking at a 20 to 40 percent savings in your cooling costs,” said Marquez.

Adding window shades and coverings can also make a difference.

“Any time you can get shade on your home it helps. On the roof, trees are a great way to get some shade on the home,” said Marquez.

Inside the home fans are a good option, but only while you are at home.

“One of the misconceptions is that the fan cools down the room, but it doesn’t. So when you leave the home, turn your fans off, it does not cool the room. It cools you and I off by evaporating moisture off our skin, it doesn’t cool a room and there is no reason to keep it running while nobody is here,” said Marquez.

Another way to save is to use a programmable timer. If you have a set schedule, you can actually program the temperature to go up when you leave the house and set it to cool off an hour before you come home. This way, Marquez said, your house is nice and cool by the time you arrive and it saves energy at the same time.

“There is no reason to be cooling off your house when nobody is here,” said Marquez.

Any TV you have that you are not using, unplug it.

“Some of the TVs we have in our homes, 70 percent of the electricity they consume in our homes is consumed while they are shut off. So if you have TVs that you don’t use often, put them on a power strip and turn them all the way off,” said Marquez.

The same goes for phone chargers and laptops.

Marquez recommends save running the dishwasher, doing laundry and running the pool pump for when your AC is not working full-time, before 1 p.m. or after 7 p.m.. This will not only save energy but help with the power grid if there is ever a problem.

There are also rebates available for certain upgrades for both IID and Southern California Edison customers. Click Here to find out more.

To find out exactly how much you can save, Click Here, for a website to plug in numbers specifically for your home. For Energy Star calculator Click Here.