electricity question...

**dawnterese** · 05-18-2007, 11:58 PM

trying to keep that electric bill down and now that the hot weather has arrived...

do you think you save more electricity keeping the blinds/drapes closed to keep out the heat, and then having to turn on the lights in the house, or is it more economical to open the blinds/drapes for light and then increasing the a/c?

i love natural sunlight, but i'm on a very tight budget and am considering the possible extra a/c that may be needed when the sun is coming through the windows all day...or does the need to then put on house lights cancel out the savings on a/c.

sorry if this sounds confusing, but i hope you all understand what i mean.

dawn

**baxjul** · 05-19-2007, 07:12 AM

I would close the drapes in the South facing windows that get the most sunlight during the afternoon. I live in FL, and we don't have our a/c on yet, our south facing windows all have tinting film on them, so you still get light, but not as strong. I do know that the a/c uses more electric than the lights would though. Good luck!

**banana** · 05-19-2007, 02:38 PM

I would think it would be cheaper to keep your blinds and drapes closed and to turn on your lights. AC could be very expensive to run. Compact Flourscent lightbulbs are not expensive to use at all.

**nuisance26** · 05-20-2007, 09:41 PM

~I agree. Keep your drapes closed and use CFL's. Ideally you should have light colored drapes/blinds which reflect the sun's rays.~

**kabin63** · 05-21-2007, 09:39 AM

What I do is open the drapes/shades on the side of the house the sun is not directly hitting. So, in the morning I open the west side, but later in the day I close them and open the ones that were closed on the other side. This keeps the heat down and the house cooler. Our living room has north windows, so they are always open.