When the mercury starts climbing in western Colorado, so does the electricity bill. And for many households across Grand Junction and Mesa County, the cost of staying cool can feel like a slow burn. But according to energy officials and Xcel Energy, it doesn’t have to.

With the official start of summer just around the corner, Xcel is offering up a few easy energy-saving tricks—and they don’t involve turning your house into a sauna or suffering in silence. A few smart moves now could mean noticeable savings later.

Close your blinds—and open your interior doors?

Let’s start with the basics. If the sun’s blazing through your windows all day, your air conditioner is going to have to work overtime.

Xcel Energy’s first piece of advice? Keep the blinds closed during the hottest parts of the day. It sounds simple, maybe even obvious. But it’s one of the most effective passive ways to keep indoor temps lower.

But here’s the twist—while you’re shutting out the sun, Xcel says it’s just as important to open something else: your interior doors.

The idea is to let air flow freely from room to room, especially if you’re relying on ceiling fans or central air. Blocking off rooms can trap heat and force your A/C to push harder.

One sentence: circulation really is the name of the game here.

That ceiling fan? Make it spin the right way

You’d be amazed how many people get this one wrong.

During the summer months, ceiling fans should spin counterclockwise. That direction pulls cooler air upward and creates a subtle breeze that helps you feel several degrees cooler—even if the thermostat doesn’t budge.

It’s a quick fix. Flip the switch on the fan’s motor housing and you’re good to go.

This one’s less about the science and more about comfort. But here’s the kicker: it can allow you to raise your thermostat by 4°F without feeling a difference. That’s not nothing.

Just remember: clockwise in winter, counterclockwise in summer.

Replace that dirty air filter—seriously

It’s the energy advice no one wants to hear but everyone needs to follow. Dirty filters choke your HVAC system, reduce airflow, and make everything work harder.

Xcel says replacing your air filters on a regular schedule—ideally every 1-3 months—can cut energy consumption by 5 to 15%.

That’s not chump change.

Even better? Clean filters help improve air quality, too. Especially helpful when wildfire season kicks in or allergy counts spike.

It takes five minutes and costs less than a coffee. Yet most folks still forget to do it.

Wait to wash—timing matters more than you think

Another smart tip? Hold off on running appliances like dishwashers and washing machines until after the sun goes down.

Why?

Because late afternoon and early evening tend to be the hottest—and most energy-intensive—times of the day. That’s when demand spikes and rates can creep up depending on your plan.

Here’s what the experts suggest:

• Run major appliances after 8 PM, if you can
• Use cold water cycles to save even more
• Skip heated drying cycles on dishwashers

It’s not just about saving money. It’s also about easing pressure on the grid when it’s working hardest.

Quick reference: Xcel’s top summer energy tips

For those who want it all in one place, here’s a snapshot of what Xcel Energy recommends:

Even just doing a few of these could help trim your monthly bill without sacrificing comfort.

Energy bills aren’t just about weather—they’re about behavior

Colorado summers can be unpredictable—some days are sweltering, others are strangely mild. But your energy usage? That’s something you can usually control.

Energy advisors say behavioral changes account for a surprising amount of savings. It’s not just your thermostat settings—it’s how you use your home.

“We see customers with identical homes and appliances use drastically different amounts of energy just based on habits,” one Xcel rep told us.

Think about it. One person cools an empty house all day. Another shuts blinds, opens doors, and waits to do laundry at night.

Same weather. Two very different bills.

One-sentence paragraph here: habits make the difference.

More heatwaves, more urgency

As climate patterns shift and summer heatwaves become more frequent, this stuff matters more than ever.

A 2024 study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that residential A/C usage across the Southwest has jumped by nearly 20% in the last decade. That kind of demand strains both the grid and homeowners’ budgets.

And it’s not slowing down. Meteorologists are already predicting higher-than-average temps this summer across Colorado’s Western Slope.

So yes, it’s going to get hot.

But maybe—just maybe—it doesn’t have to be so expensive.