Getting ready for a summer trip? Before you leave, take a few pro steps to avoid coming home to a sky‑high electric bill. Here’s how to prep your home like a local Lawton/Oklahoma neighbor who cares.
1. Keep Blinds Closed During Daylight Hours
One of the easiest (and most affordable) ways to keep your home cooler in the summer is to close your blinds or shades during the hottest parts of the day—especially on windows that face east and west. Sunlight streaming through glass doesn’t just heat the air; it warms up furniture, floors, and walls, which then continue to radiate heat into your home even after the sun moves on. This process, known as thermal mass heat gain, can keep indoor temperatures elevated long after sunset. By keeping blinds closed, especially reflective or thermal-backed ones, you reduce the amount of heat that gets trapped and re-emitted into your living space. It’s a small step that can give your cooling system a big break—and lower your electric bill in the process.
2. Schedule AC Maintenance or Upgrade Your AC System for Best Efficiency
If your AC is over 10 years old, it might be costing you far more than a few degrees. Newer systems run up to 30‑40% more efficiently, particularly during peak summer use.
If you're not ready for a full equipment swap, a spring or pre‑summer tune‑up is a smart move: cleaning coils, changing filters, checking refrigerant levels, and sealing ducts with a professional can significantly boost performance and prolong equipment life.
Pippin Brothers works on all makes and models of heating & cooling systems, including heat pumps and mini splits, offering our repair services 6 days a week. Our team will accurately diagnose the issue with your HVAC in order to find a reliable solution and get your system up and running again as quickly as possible.
3. Put Your Water Heater on Hold (While You’re Gone)
Water heaters are energy sinks, even when not in regular use. Set yours to “vacation mode” (or turn it down to the lowest temperature setting) before you leave, saving standby energy without sacrificing the pilot light.
Pippin Brothers provides full service on both tank and tankless water heaters, including installing vacation-mode features, advising on low-cost settings, and upgrading older units to more efficient models.
4. Put a Stake In Your Energy Vampires
Maybe you’ve heard of the energy vampires, or “phantom loads”—devices that pull standby juice even when off. According to Energy.gov, the average home has 20–40 such devices.
To beat these vampires, don’t just turn devices off; remove them from power entirely:
- Unplug gadgets like chargers, printers, or old video equipment
- Use power strips with switches to kill multiple devices at once
- Invest in smart strips that cut power automatically when a primary device (like your PC) shuts down
Not sure where your biggest drains are? Pippin Brothers can perform an energy‑use assessment to highlight problem spots and recommend future upgrades—like efficient environments or automation options.
5. Seal Your Home to Keep the Cool In
Air leaks in doors, windows, or ductwork can drive up your bill by letting conditioned air escape and warm air in. Before you leave:
- Caulk or weatherstrip leaky doors/windows
- Seal any exposed duct seams in your crawl space or attic
- Have your ducts professionally tested and sealed by Pippin Brothers for lasting savings
Let Pippin Brothers Help You Save
Need help choosing a smart thermostat, scheduling a tune‑up, or sealing ducts? We’ve been serving the Lawton, Duncan, and Fort Sill communities since 1978 with fair pricing, honest advice, and results you can trust. Call 580‑699‑5662 for a no‑pressure, no‑obligation estimate or ask our team how our home performance services can truly pay you back all summer long.