Back to school: 5 ways to save money on energy bills

Ameren shares simple tips to help families reduce energy usage as the school year begins

ST. LOUIS (Sept. 12, 2024) - With children returning to school and the official start of fall right around the corner, you might see your home energy usage wind down along with the temperatures. But even when no one is home, you may still be using energy. That's why Ameren is offering a handful of creative ways to reduce energy usage when your home is empty.

Here are five ways families can adjust their habits and ultimately lower energy bills after the beginning of the new school year:

1. Close your curtains on hot days. When the temperatures are already warm outside, keeping your blinds and curtains open lets in more than just sunshine - it can also heat your home, which will cause your air conditioner to run more often.
   
2. Program your thermostat. Schedule your smart thermostat to run at around 78 degrees when nobody is home, and you'll use less energy. This adjustment could save up to 12% on cooling costs. Visit AmerenIllinoisEEMarketplace.com or AmerenMissouriMarketplace.com to view smart thermostat deals available to you.
   
3. Unplug unused electronics. Many electronic devices - especially older and less energy-efficient ones - will continue to draw power, even when turned off or in standby mode. To reduce wasted energy, disconnect these devices or plug them into advanced power strips, which can help eliminate standby power loss and reduce your energy usage.
   
4. Turn off your ceiling fan when you leave. Fans cool people, but they don't impact the temperature of a room. Shutting them off when you leave a room and before leaving for work and school will keep you from wasting energy that isn't cooling down anyone.
   
5. Seal cracks and gaps around your home. Use materials such as window film kits, caulk and weatherstripping to keep cool air in during the summer (and cold air out during the winter). This step will help keep your family more comfortable while increasing your year-round energy savings by as much as 30%.

"As children head back to school, and with more parents going back to the office a few days a week, there's bound to be more time when your home is empty and using less energy," said Wanda Sams, program supervisor of energy efficiency at Ameren Missouri. "You can maximize these savings even further by making small habit changes and taking a little time to weatherproof around the home, so families can decrease unnecessary energy usage and save even more on their electric bills."

Ameren also offers free home energy assessments in both states. In Missouri, anyone can schedule a free, no-obligation assessment through the Pay As You Save (PAYS) program, which helps to offset upfront costs of energy-efficient upgrades and provides customers the opportunity to pay the remaining costs on their bill over time. In Illinois, free home energy assessments are available to eligible income-qualified households.

For even more home energy efficiency resources, visit Ameren.com/EnergyEfficiency where customers can find special discounts, rebates and incentives for making energy-efficient upgrades around the home.

About Ameren Corporation
St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation powers the quality of life for 2.4 million electric customers and more than 900,000 natural gas customers in a 64,000-square-mile area through its Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois rate-regulated utility subsidiaries. Ameren Illinois provides electric transmission and distribution service and natural gas distribution service. Ameren Missouri provides electric generation, transmission and distribution services, as well as natural gas distribution service. Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois develops, owns and operates rate-regulated regional electric transmission projects in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. For more information, visit Ameren.com, or follow us at @AmerenCorp, Facebook.com/AmerenCorp, or LinkedIn.com/company/Ameren.