With the summer heat upon us, I look forward to the rewards Baltimore Gas and Electric offer. Their “Peak Savings” is a challenge I do not take lightly. They offer me a chance to save even more than the year prior. BGE picks a hot summer day and credits your account for any electricity saved from the same day a year prior. My children never cared for it as their mama turned into a nut, at times. Everything was unplugged and they were forbidden to shower or do laundry during the time we were being monitored. I have saved between $20-$40 at a time over the years.

Here are 5 easy ways you can improve your energy bill:

• Figure out where south is in your home. In the summer you get more heat coming from this side of your house. Hopefully, you have double pane windows on the south side. You might also want to consider some dark curtains. If you have the ability to put an awning up to block the direct sun this will also help. Long term solution is to plant a tree(s) to shade the windows.
• Power Strips are a must. Get in the habit of unplugging your coffee maker, toaster, air fryer, etc. They do eat up some of the energy. Think about your TV, DVD player, cable box, computer, printer, cell phones, etc. If you are like me, you have a cord mess all over your living room. I never like to unplug all those cords because I never know if I am unplugging the wrong thing. I have started using power strips. It makes it so easier. I plug in similar things in the same strip. This way I know what I am turning off. At the end of the day, you turn off the switch. It is that simple!!
• Do you remember the draft coming from under your door on a cold winter day? The draft goes both ways. Check your windows and doors for air coming in or going out and replace the weather stripping where needed.
• Spend a buck and change your HVAC filter. Everyone in the house should know how to do it. It is easy, cheap, and can save you money not to mention, helps you breathe better. If you look at your filter and it is covered in dirt it is doing its job. Without a filter or a clean filter, you would have been breathing all that dirt. They are so inexpensive to buying. I recommend buying a dozen at a time. This way you have enough for a year.
• Lastly, call your local energy company and schedule a home checkup. They are often free of charge and will check your home for energy waste.

All of this can take you from saving some change to saving some serious money without too much effort. Once the changes are made you can sit back and reap the rewards.