January 2012 Phoenix: Being a “Valley of the Sun” resident since 1971, I haves lived through many cold winters and record breaking hot summer temperatures.  In today’s economy everyone is looking to save money including lowering their electric bill in Phoenix.

Here are some money saving tips on how you can lower your electric bill in Phoenix:

Sun Exposure

1) SUN EXPOSURE: If you are looking to buy a home in the near future or you currently own a home, take a look at the which way the home is situated on the land.  The sun follows the southern sky in the winter and the northern sky in the summer.  Keeping this in mind if you want to use less heat to warm your home in the winter time, then choose a home with a south backyard that has a lot of windows exposed to the south.  If you have a private swimming pool then you may want an east backyard to maximize the shade coverage in the summer months.  In general the south and west sections of a home will be the warmest during the winter months and the south and east sections of a home will be the coolest in the summer months.

Home Shaded by Trees

2) SHADE TREES: When looking to save money on electric bills, people often overlook the outside of the home.  They try to put in shades and shutters on the inside of the home where the heat has already entered. The number one way to lower your utility bill in the summer time is to shade the home from the outside with natural shade from mature trees.  If your home is shaded, it is often 20 to 25 degrees cooler in the summer months than an unshaded home.     This equates to your air conditioner working less to keep your home cool during the 100 plus degree summer temperatures. Consider shading the north and west sides of your home with natural mature shade trees.

Blown Insulation

3) ATTIC INSULATION & MAINTENANCE: If you have been in your home for more than 5 years, chances are your attic insulation has settled or moved and is not unevenly distributed or has sunken down a few inches. I often attend home inspections with my buyers and time after time the inspector mentions that the attic insulation has settled or is distributed unevenly.  Consider having extra fiberglass insulation rolled in, blown in or even a radiant barrier insulation that will help keep your attic cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter time.

Engergy Auditor

4) ENERGY AUDIT: If you want to lower your electric bill in Phoenix, then you may want to hire a professional to perform an energy audit. An energy audit is an in-depth analysis and inspection of your home to determine where you might be wasting energy and offer small or inexpensive solutions.  You may also receive big or more expensive solutions such as replacing all of your windows, but I would not recommend replacing windows unless you plan on being in your home for more than 7 years as the cost is hard to recuperate.

If you lived in your home for a few years or plan on buying one in 2012, you definitely could use a few tips on how you can lower your electric bill in Phoenix.  Donald Keys is a full time REALTOR selling new and resale homes since 1997.