My partner and I have had enough of these insane energy costs. The utility bill is getting completely out of hand. And, the energy costs trend is simply unsustainable. She and I can’t fork over this much of our paycheck to the power bill alone. I understand that where both of us live is a power sucking vortex during the summertime months. It is a given. But, I’m sick of simply taking it while not attempting to focus on lowering some of these costs. I’ve installed the smart temperature control as well as synced it to the new automatic blinds. I’m expecting some significant savings from this investment. However, this is not enough. I want to create better habits while still having a decently cooled lake home to live in! To that end, she and I are attempting to add some modifications which should improve upon the heating and AC efficiency. First, we got rid of every single incandescent light bulb in the house. I had no clue how hot those things get. Those bulbs reach temperatures of nearly 340 degrees! While an equivalent LED bulb gets to less than 90 degrees. Additionally, we went up to our attic to seal around the perimeter while also adding more r 60 insulation. I never realized how out of date our insulation honestly was. Fans get turned on in any room my partner or I occupy. They cost about 30 times less to operate than the central air conditioner. While they don’t honestly cool the air, it sure feels great on our skin. This allows myself and my partner to leave the temperature control a bit higher more constantly. Finally, supper is either grilled outside or straight from the fridge. The oven as well as the range are to be used truly sparingly during the height of summertime. Just doing all these things in conjunction with furnace and central AC tune ups should help myself and my partner to at least fight back some against the towering utility bill.