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Jun 21, 2023 | Energy Efficiency | 40 comments

5 affordable ways to save energy this summer

Give yourself a break from these household tasks.

Welcome back, summer! It’s the season for enjoying the sun and relaxing outdoors. However, this also tends to be the time when home energy use begins to soar. Increased use of air conditioners and other household appliances can elevate energy use, but it doesn’t have to be that way. 

Here are five easy tips to save energy and money this summer with almost no effort!  

1. A simple way to save energy in your washing routines. 

A person’s legs are visible as they load dirty dishes into the bottom rack of a dishwasher.

Instead of pre-rinsing your dishes, simply dispose of any leftover food, pop them into the machine and wait until you have a full load before running the dishwasher. Apply this same “full load” method to your laundry routine and you’ll save tons of water and energy. 

2. Sometimes it’s okay to put off daily chores.

A woman holding a baby kneels in front of a clothes dryer in dim lighting with the light from the dryer reflected on her face.

Maximize your time in the sun by saving chores for later in the evening. Avoid running major appliances during the day when it’s hottest outside. Instead, consider running them at night when temperatures are cooler. This will keep your house cooler and boost energy efficiency. 

3. Make a bake-off trade-off.  

A woman reaches into a microwave to remove a container.

Skip the oven and use the microwave instead. Not only are microwaves more energy efficient, but your house will stay much cooler than if you fired up the oven. Microwaves use up to 80% less energy than conventional ovens, so it’s a great way to save on your energy bill and keep indoors cooler at the same time. 

4. Let a smart thermostat do the work. 

A man adjusts a wall-mounted thermostat.

Use a smart thermostat to control your heating and cooling. An ENERGY STAR® smart thermostat will learn your habits and adjust the temperature for you, saving you an average of $50 per year on your energy bills. Pay less for your thermostat when you buy it on the PPL Online Marketplace. 

 5. Keep the sunlight (and heat) on the outside. 

A hand closes Venetian blinds using the adjusting rod.

Close curtains or blinds for any windows that receive direct sunlight throughout the day. Keeping window coverings closed will reduce heat in your home and lessen the need for A/C. This is a simple and effective way to save energy and keep your home comfortable during the summer months. 

By following these simple tips, you can keep your home cool, save energy and still enjoy all that summer has to offer. 

40 Comments

  1. Tammy Tambourine

    This was very informative, I think you for taking the time to explain ways to save money and energy. Thank you so much.

    Reply
    • Margarita Alicea

      I’m I would like to know if you help with wrap?

      Reply
      • Kathryn

        Good Afternoon Margarita, You can complete a WRAP application online under http://www.pplelectric.com/wrap. An alternative to complete an application and follow up on the status is to call our WRAP program weekdays 8am -6pm at 1-888-232-6302. A WRAP Representative can assist with your application. Thanks!

        Reply
    • Lesley Mohr

      Is the commercial on TV about Using dishwasher correct?
      Using it everyday to save electricity and water?

      Reply
  2. BJ

    I appreciate the effort in trying to educate people about these simple tips but there are many of us that have been implementing them into our routines for many years. I thought most of these tips were common knowledge… Not very helpful in our case!

    Reply
  3. Deborah Roland

    Always great to hear of ways to save money on energy costs. Thanks PPL

    Reply
  4. Willie

    Thank you very much! It’s so true, “little things mean a lot”.

    Reply
  5. Deborah Nichols

    You have used the method that my Mom taught me and she learned from her mother. It’s amazing what we can learn from our elders. To bad most people think the older generations have to teach us.

    Reply
    • Crystal N Hill

      I need help payment plan

      Reply
      • Kathryn

        Good Afternoon Crystal, If you need a due date extension or a payment plan to pay this bill over several months, please read more and set up a plan under http://www.pplelectric.com/paybill or call us at 1-800-342-5775 (say payment agreement or bill help) during the prompts. If you need help paying your bill, please read about assistance programs under http://www.pplelectric.com/billhelp. Thank you!

        Reply
  6. William Mark Yerger

    Not rinsing off dishes before putting them in the dishwasher is a problem. You won’t be able to run the dishwasher on the quick cycle as more time is needed to get them clean. This could then take 3 times the water and energy.

    Reply
    • Jodi

      You must scrape off the dishes into the trash first. This way no chunks of food will stick. Also cleaning of the screen/filter will prevent clogs.

      Reply
  7. Thomas Lucas

    Is the price of electricity logged during evening and night hours?

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      Good Afternoon Thomas, Our meters record usage 24/7 that includes evening hours. If you have an existing web profile for your account, please review your daily & hourly usage under https://www.pplelectric.com/analyze. You will be able to view the time of day your usage is highest and lowest and make lifestyle adjustments if needed. Thanks for reaching out!

      Reply
  8. Lisa G

    Since I am ALWAYS chilly, I set my air conditioner thermostat higher than most. I just retired and I used to FREEZE at work! It’s so nice to keep the A/C as warm as I wish!!!

    Reply
  9. Alex Grande

    His much energy savings occurs when you switch to a 2023 dishwasher from. 1992 KitchenAid dishwasher?

    Reply
  10. William Mark Yerger

    I didn’t Appreciate you’re taking down my comment because you disagreed with it. It was valid and I still stand by it. I guess I need to let others know that you can’t disagree with PP&L even when PP&L is wrong.

    Reply
  11. Robert

    best thing to save, is to shop for a better electric price from another vendor.

    Reply
  12. Richard Urick

    These very simple tips are very helpful, thank you…and at Age 62, still not too old to learn new tips, and advice on how to save energy…we feel good when we save energy….good for everyone…thank you!

    Reply
  13. Gudrun

    mostly what I already do – except baking in the microwave, YUCK, no comparison! for small items I have a small toaster oven I can set outside in the shade to keep the heat indoors to a minimum, but microwave baking is just not food I want to eat!

    Reply
  14. Don L Kerstetter

    Thank you for countering the self-serving lie by a dishwashing detergent ad that encourages more washing small loads saying it actually saves water (the lie) in order to double the amount of detergent used that doubles their sales/profits.

    Sue them!

    Reply
  15. Sheri L Pennell

    Thank you for the info.
    Very helpful.

    Reply
  16. Donna M Yerk

    Thank you!

    Reply
  17. Leslie

    I try hang my clothes out to dry as often as possible, instead of using the dryer.

    Reply
  18. Susan L Cartright

    Perhaps you could explaina as to the rationale for the increase in rates this past year

    Reply
  19. Josephine Cuddy

    Very helpful, especially running appliances at night. Keep the tips coming

    Reply
  20. Matthew Baillie

    To reduce the load on the grid, don’t run the electric dryer between noon and 9 pm

    Reply
  21. Jennifer Hunter

    Keeping blinds/ shades & curtains closed are an AWESOME way 2 keep ur home cooler!! It helps with having the AC running constantly!

    Reply
  22. Jennifer Hunter

    Should always stay informative w/ customers. It is extremely helpful/ supportive.

    Reply
  23. Bridget pieters

    Thanks for the tips.

    Reply
  24. Tran

    Thanks

    Reply
  25. Ray FONTENOVA

    may seem weird but I put heavy, dark window curtains up on all my sun-facing windows to reduce the heated light from coming in – keeps those rooms cooler and uses less A/C…..

    Reply
  26. Keith

    Already do all those. I don’t have a dishwasher and my AC is broken. House is at 86 with a 7 fans running.
    I am a retired wounded warrior. Need discount on my bill. Wife doesn’t work for 3 months.

    Reply
  27. Francesca ME

    Thank you for this list. I learned something!

    Reply
  28. William Mark Yerger

    According to Bonney Plumbing, Heating and Air, you may eventually end up with a backed-up drain hose if you don’t rinse your dishes before loading them. If you don’t run your dishwasher often, soiled dishes may sit for a while, giving the food particles time to harden.Apr 14, 2021

    Reply
  29. EJLB

    We have three individuals in the family now & one way we save on electricity is to unplug anything that isn’t really being used like a particular clock that’s old using the old fashioned type of plug that are big & heavy & emit heat to reduce the AC electricity to DC electricity & many others are like that also, & we also just take quick showers & since our water heater is run on diesel fuel & it can be changed to other types of heating fuels yet that’s the way it’s currently set up & so we only turn the hot water heater when we intend to use it and the rest of the time especially during the summer vacation for the only one left living here going to high school now & it really saves on the amount of diesel fuel used instead of deliveries from a delivery company and to have a contract & have it filled all the way full in the 350 or so gallon tank outside or inside & we discovered that instead of keeping the hot water heater on all the time saves it from turning on & reheating during the day when there is no one home.
    We also make sure we are using all non incandescent bulbs & use very low energy bulbs with similar & even better brightness than older types.
    Another way to save is to have very good insulation in all exterior & interior walls which is the way my brother and I built this home & in this way we just use the air-conditioner on dehumidifier when it’s very humid & if it’s very hot and dry then we use air-conditioned & yet due to the insulation the air-conditioner doesn’t run for very long & we need to turn them off due to the room it’s in starts to get too cold & sometimes people just keep them on & the temperature gets to be almost 65°F which is too cold & when you go back outside into the 95 or more heat of the summer it’s not good for you & it makes it seem like it’s hotter than if you could aclimate yet a person can’t do that if you go from 65°F to 95°F or the equivalent in the celcius scales or even the Kelvin scale yet just go with what you are familiar with yet when scientist talk about Global Warming it’s always usually in the Metric system which uses the Celsius scale & the conversion is simple yet to put it in perspective 50°C is equal to 120°F & so on. Any decent calculator on most mobile phones have a good conversion for length, volumes, temperature, & others for like cooking or just to build a new bird house in metric system for a science project yet maybe something more interesting than a bird house & the bird house can be a way to help birds during the summer months also since they are important for the ecosystem & if they don’t have water and food the little ones could be the ones that are in danger & get weak and get ill or worse & if everyone were to cooperate with this than the amount of fossil fuels would dramatically be less and we need as many of these little things to help with how we depend on fossil fuels until we find a new & better energy sources.

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      Buenas tardes, Si tiene dificultades para pagar su factura, o incluso se enfrenta a un apagón, inicie sesión en su cuenta en pplelectric.com y haga clic en “Obtener ayuda para pagar”. Le haremos algunas preguntas sobre su hogar y lo referiremos a los programas que más beneficiarán a su familia. Gracias!

      Reply
  30. K.M. Brown

    Your tips are right on! But you need tell people to look for energy efficient appliances and though they may be more costly you save. My washer hold up to 14 pairs of jeans, cleans great and spins them really dry, thus less time (41 minutes) in the dryer. Also saves on your time , less loads to do. MY dishwasher takes 2 hours to clean on the savings cycle but uses less water and electric.

    Reply
  31. L K Hare

    I don’t get it, they tell people to get rid of old appliances an use energy efficient ones. I just recently added to energy efficient appliances and my electric bill went way up.

    Reply

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