We all know that cooling a home during the hot summer months is important for our comfort, but it can be expensive. While we want to keep our house cool and comfortable, there are some easy ways to reduce the cost.
Maintain or Replace your Existing AC Unit
Often times AC Units will become clogged with debris or dust after months of heavy use. Having a professional AC repair crew come out and perform annual maintenance on your unit will decrease clogs and debris while increasing efficiency. Energy efficiency can increase by five to fifteen percent just by cleaning and maintaining clogged air filters. More energy efficiency equals more money back in your pocket. Units that are ten years or older may need to be replaced in order to gain maximum efficiency. Although the cost upfront can be expensive, it will save you money in the long run by saving you hundreds each month on your energy bill. Call an AC repair technician today to guarantee your unit is working at maximum efficiency, and save yourself some money this summer.
Create Shade Around Your Home
Creating shade both inside and outside your home can greatly reduce the temperature of your home, thus reducing how hard your AC unit will have to work this summer. The less energy your AC unit has to put forth, the more money you save off your bill. You can create shade outside your home by planting tall plants and bushes in front of the house, especially in front of windows that get the most sun. By reducing how much sunlight filter through and heats up the house, you will reduce your AC bill. Also, blinds are a great way to create shade inside the home. Again, the less sun coming inside your windows and heating up the rooms, the less your air conditioner has to work to cool off these rooms. These simple fixes are an easy way to reduce cooling costs this summer.
Adjust the Temperature
Setting the thermostat in your home just a few degrees higher could save lots of money. Studies have shown that for every degree you set the thermostat over 75 degrees will save you ten to fifteen percent per degree. Most experts will say that 78 degrees are the optimal temperature to set your thermostat for both comfort and cost. Also, remember to set your thermostat to higher temperatures while you are out of the home for the day. Again, setting the thermostat to a higher temperature between 82 or 85 degrees when you are not home for the day can help cut cooling costs. Having a programmable thermostat installed in your home will make this easy. Just program the times you want the temperature higher or lower and you won’t have to remember to do it yourself. Not sure how to install a programmable thermostat? Call your AC technician to come and help.
Comfort in the summer months is important to many, but it doesn’t have to come at a high cost. Implement these three easy tips and save this summer.
