To many, summertime is the best time of year. The sunshine, warmth, and humidity is the perfect time for us to have fun experiences with our friends and family. But of course there are some drawbacks to all the heat: watching your energy bills skyrocket. However, you’re not doomed to have high bills every summer. Let’s talk about the ways you can reduce your cooling costs without sacrificing your comfort.
Circulate air in your home by other means.
Air conditioners are the fastest and quickest way to cool down your home, but it’s not the only way. Instead, consider utilizing ceiling fans, box fans, and of course, windows. Fans don’t necessarily cool a room, but they change how the temperature of the room feels with the wind-chill effect.
Opening up the windows in your home can give you the chance to get some of the outdoor breeze inside. Some homes don’t always allow you to open your windows, but you can always strategically place fans around your home to circulate air.
If you are going to use your air conditioning units, you can set it to a lower setting and use fans to circulate that cool air.
Invest in upgrades to your home.
While this is a solution that can cost a decent chunk of change up front, it can significantly help you in the long run. For example, older windows can make your home less energy-efficient. The same goes for windows that aren’t sealed as tightly as they could be. Fixing cracks and caulking your windows will prevent cool air from leaking out.
Leaks don’t only occur in windows, however. Walls, attics, and crawl spaces can have leaks as well. While insulating your home may be expensive, if you have an old home it could be worth it in the long run.
Lastly, the kind of light bulbs you have in your lights are a surprising change you may need to make to reduce cooling costs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) are already known to reduce lighting costs, but they help with cooling costs, too. They differ from incandescent lights because they give off less heat. Switching out your light bulbs to CFLs can help with cooling, especially if you have a light fixture near your cooling units.
Other ways to reduce heat buildup in your home
One of the simplest ways to keep your home cool is to take advantage of curtains, blinds, and shades. You may feel a little like a vampire, but it’ll be worth it in the end! Light-colored window dressings are more likely to deflect the sun rays, so keep that in mind.
Many of our appliances generate a lot of heat. Cooking with the oven, taking a hot shower, and cleaning your dishes with the dishwasher are just some of the activities that can make your indoor temperature hotter. You can dispel the heat from your oven or shower by using exhaust fans if you have them. Alternatively, you can cook outside, use the microwave, or simply wait until the sun goes down to use these appliances.
Reconsider the way you run your AC units.
Many newer air conditioning units have an economy mode that can help reduce the power consumption in your AC unit. If your system doesn’t have one, you can simply just do it manually. If you’re away all day at work, turning down the temperature of your unit may help reduce costs.
Outside humidity should also influence you to change the settings on your air conditioner, but it may not be in the way that you expect. You should use a high fan setting on normal days, but on humid days, you want to use a lower speed. This is because slower air movement will remove the humidity from the air.
Maintain your AC units.
We’ve discussed HVAC maintenance in another blog post about when you should repair them. One of the big things about maintaining and repairing your AC unit is to ensure it’s working efficiently. If not, it’ll have to run a lot harder to cool your house down. At Eagle Air Service we can provide you with coolant repairs, central air system installation and repair, and regular maintenance and tune-ups if you are experiencing problems with your unit.
However, we always recommend considering repair costs. Are you frequently shelling out cash for repairs? If so, you may be better off investing in a new AC unit. To ensure that you can have low cooling costs, you want to look for high-efficiency units. When shopping for a new unit, look for the Energy-Star seal. You can find more tips on purchasing a new AC here.
Conclusion
Summertime heat doesn’t mean you have to break your bank. With these steps, you should achieve a lower cooling bill during the upcoming warmer months. If there are other questions or concerns you have about your AC unit, we’d love to help you. Contact us today!
