You聽might聽not think twice about聽revving聽up the air conditioning when it’s聽hot聽outside—until you see your聽power聽bill. Air conditioning聽聽of the聽everyday聽U.S. home’s聽annual聽energy聽expenses聽and up to 70% of your utility聽costs聽during the summer. If you’re聽sick of聽overpaying聽for air conditioning,聽follow聽these 13 tips to improve AC efficiency and save money on your monthly聽expenses.

Prioritize routine聽service: Dirt and debris聽accumulate聽in your air conditioner over time,聽lowering聽efficiency.聽Schedule聽annual maintenance聽to have a聽professional聽clean your unit’s coils,聽exchange聽the filter, tighten electrical connections, lubricate moving聽pieces聽and more.聽A once-per-year聽inspection also聽allows聽your聽technician聽to聽discover聽and fix any potential issues before they become聽severe聽problems.
Keep the outdoor unit free of聽blockages:聽Loose聽trash聽and nearby聽vegetation聽growing around your air conditioner can聽minimize聽airflow and make the system work harder.聽Examine聽the unit throughout the summer,聽trimming聽back vegetation and聽sweeping up聽debris as needed to keep your cooling system聽functioning聽effectively.
Set up聽a programmable thermostat: A聽programmable thermostat聽allows聽you to set automatic temperatures based on your聽lifestyle. In the聽summer months, program a higher temperature when you’re away from聽your house or apartment聽and have it resume a comfortable temperature before you聽come back. This reduces energy consumption and saves money without sacrificing comfort.
Stay away from聽overriding programmed settings: While you聽can always聽override聽the temperature on your programmable thermostat, try turning on a fan or聽shedding聽a layer of clothes before you change the setting. When you聽want聽to聽modify聽the temperature, do so by聽just聽a degree or two. Cranking down the temperature聽will never聽cool your home any聽quicker聽and only serves to聽waste聽electricity.
Use聽the auto fan setting: While fan-only mode聽circulates聽air to聽stop聽rooms from becoming stuffy, HVAC professionals聽recommend聽using this setting sparingly. “Auto fan” is the more efficient setting because the blower only runs when the rest of the AC does,聽preventing聽needless聽energy聽waste.
Prevent聽solar heat gain: Closing blinds and curtains,聽putting in聽outside聽awnings and applying window film helps block the sun’s heat to keep your聽home聽cooler. These聽strategies聽are most useful on south- and west-facing windows where the sun shines聽directly聽inside.
Install the outdoor聽part of your system聽in the shade: Direct sunlight聽can force聽your system to work harder and聽decreases聽efficiency. So if聽you can, position the condensing unit so it’s聽shaded聽in the afternoon.
Keep your聽air vents听辞辫别苍: It’s a聽common聽misconception that closing the vents in聽rarely used聽rooms聽helps you to save聽energy.聽Unfortunately, this throws off the supply and return air聽equilibrium, making your AC聽not as聽efficient.聽Generally speaking, keep at least 80% of your registers open聽all the time聽and聽make sure聽no vents are聽obstructed聽by rugs, curtains or furniture.
Use ceiling fans聽in conjunction聽with your air conditioner: Ceiling fans聽distribute聽air throughout the room,聽producing聽a wind chill effect that makes you feel about 4 degrees cooler. This聽might聽allow you to聽increase聽the temperature a few degrees without feeling聽uncomfortable,聽lowering聽your dependence on the air conditioner and聽bringing down聽your bills.
Use a dehumidifier: High humidity聽creates聽a “cool but clammy” feeling, which is an uncomfortable sensation that may聽compel聽you to聽repeatedly聽lower the temperature.聽In reality, you need less humidity,聽rather than聽cooler air. Running a聽whole-house dehumidifier聽eliminates聽unwanted聽moisture, making your home feel more comfortable for a fraction of the cost of air conditioning.
Use natural ventilation聽carefully:聽When it’s hot and humid outside, keep your windows and doors closed to聽prevent聽cool air from聽leaking out. If you聽live聽in an area聽with cool summer evenings, open the windows and doors聽overnight聽to cool off the house naturally, reducing the聽burden聽on your air conditioner.
Seal air leaks: Leaky windows and doors聽let聽hot summer air聽inside of the house聽even when closed, making it聽more difficult聽and more expensive to keep things cool. Seal leaks with caulk and weatherstripping to keep conditioned air聽inside of your home聽where it聽should be.
Seal duct leaks:聽A typical聽home loses聽聽of the conditioned air聽moving through聽it to leaks, holes and聽badly聽connected ducts.聽Call聽a professional to聽seal your ductwork聽and聽halt聽this energy waste.Â

If you still have comfort聽problems聽or聽high聽energy聽costs聽after聽employing聽these tips, turn to 天美传媒 Total home Comfort for help. We聽can聽diagnose and repair聽air conditioning聽problems, provide preventative maintenance, or聽replace聽your outdated, poorly performing system with a聽brand-new, high-efficiency model. For your聽confidence, we聽back聽everything聽we do with a聽天美传媒 G uarantee!聽Reach out to聽a聽天美传媒 office聽near you today to learn more or request air conditioning services in the U.S.