Top Three Ways of Saving Money in Summer

Cool can be expensive, especially if you rely on central air conditioning. I'm trying to save some money, so I've been doing some research on how to cut back on my energy bill.

1. Buy a portable air conditioner with a SEER (Seasonal energy efficiency ratio) of 10.00 or better.Portable air conditioners are really popular this season. Compared to a central air cooling system, portable air conditioners save money by allowing you to "spot cool" only 1 room versus your entire house. Plus, they're pretty affordable! They cost anywhere from $300 to $500, depending on the brand and BTU (British thermal unit). Higher BTU numbers mean that the unit can cool a larger room. For an average sized room, 10,000 BTU should be just about right.
   
   One thing to look for when shopping for a portable air conditioner is the SEER, or Seasonal energy efficiency ratio. It is calculated by dividing the cooling power of the AC by the energy consumption of the unit. Larger SEERs means that the AC produces a lot of cooling power while using less energy. For portable ACs, anything over 10 is very energy conserving. And in addition to saving money, you are helping to save the earth.
2. Change out your light bulbs to energy saving fluorescent bulbs.
   I cringe when I walk into someone's home and see them using old school incandescent light bulbs. A typical old school incandescent light bulb produces 60W of lighting and uses 60W electricity. An energy saving bulb produces 60W of lighting and uses 12W of electricity. That's 80% less electricity! Think of how many light bulbs you have in your home, and do the math. Trust me, it adds up!
3. Chill out at the beach with a big bucket of ice, a cup of salt, and a 6 pack of beer. The best way to cut back on your energy is to avoid using electricity in the first place. One unbearably hot days, get out of your house and hang out at the beach with a big bucket of beer. Also, I learned on Mythbusters that the fastest and most efficient way to chill a beer is to immerse in a bucket of ice, water, and salt. Salt lowers the freezing point of the water, meaning that the water can go below 0 degrees Celsius without turning to ice.