WRAL 5 On Your Side: Five ways to cut down on your energy bill

As the temperatures rise, WRAL Five on Your Side is helping you save money and stay safe with a summer survival guide.

Last month, Five On Your Side told you how to secure your home before you head out for vacation, and now we're showing you how to beat the heat without breaking the bank.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average American spends $2,000 per year on energy bills, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

WRAL Five on Your Side's Keely Arthur invited Duke Energy spokesperson Jeff Brooks into her home to show her how to make it more energy efficient.

“Most of these things take just a few minutes or they’re something you can do on a Saturday afternoon,” Brooks said.

Here are five simple things that work, and how to implement them.

1. Close your blinds and consider blackout curtains

If there’s one thing we get a lot of in North Carolina, it’s summer heat. First, close your blinds and consider blackout blinds to block the sunlight that would otherwise come through.

“It can serve as a greenhouse effect that can increase the temperature in your home,” Brooks said.

2. Use ceiling fans

Next, flip on your ceiling fan. Having a fan on won’t cool the room itself, but it makes anyone in it feel much cooler.

“Ceiling fans can actually make you feel up to four degrees cooler than it actually is in the room,” Brooks said.

3. Raise your thermostat ... a little

Turning a fan on will allow you to raise your thermostat a bit higher. Brooks told Five on Your Side that for every two degrees you increase your thermostat this summer, you can save 5% on cooling costs per month.

“You want to make sure you set that ceiling fan to a counterclockwise rotation,” Brooks added.

4. Switch out your air filters

Next, switch out your air filters. Using dirty, out-of-date filters can increase your bill by 20%, so be sure to switch those out every one to three months.

“If you have a clogged air filter that unit is going to work a whole lot harder,” Brooks said.

5. Switch to LED light bulbs

Finally, make the switch to LED light bulbs.

“Lighting is another thing that adds up in your home," Brooks said. "You think about all the different lights you have from lamps to chandeliers, and that’s a great opportunity to save energy by switching to low energy use LED bulbs.

"LED bulbs use about one-tenth of the energy of a standard light bulb."

The Consumer Federation of America estimates switching to LEDs can save the average home about $8.33 a month.

“These are simple things that you can do that will really make a big difference,” Brooks said.

Additional tips

If you make these changes let us know how it goes by emailing the Five on Your Side team at CallKeely@wral.com.

Duke Energy offers incentive rebates if you do things like install a new HVAC system or seal ductwork.

If you are having trouble paying your energy bill, Duke Energy also offers some energy-saving assistance.