Are you聽weighed down聽by聽escalating聽utility聽bills聽this summer? To聽cut聽AC costs without聽losing聽comfort, you should adopt energy-saving聽routines, implement low-cost changes and make strategic long-term investments. Here are 15聽proven聽strategies聽to聽try.
Adopt Good Energy Habits
Trimming聽AC聽expenses聽may be easier than you聽think. Here are some聽completely聽free ways to ease your monthly聽energy聽bills:
1.听Keep curtains and blinds closed:听础产辞耻迟听聽that聽hits聽standard double-pane windows聽enters聽as heat. By聽blocking聽out the sun by pulling insulating curtains and blinds over your south- and west-facing windows, you聽minimize聽solar heat gain in the afternoon and reduce the聽need聽for air conditioning.
2.听Turn up the temperature: You can save聽聽on your聽AC聽costs聽for each degree you聽increase聽the temperature. Try聽setting聽your thermostat a聽tad聽higher than usual and聽using聽a fan to make up the difference.
3.听Turn聽off the lights when not in use: Lights, especially incandescent bulbs,聽create聽a whole lot聽of heat. Turning them off when you聽walk out of聽the聽room聽lowers聽the interior heat gain your聽AC聽must combat.
4.听Use appliances聽wisely: Wait to use heat-generating appliances like the oven, dryer and dishwasher until the聽cool聽point聽of the day. This聽approach聽relieves some of聽your AC’s聽load聽during the hot afternoon,聽minimizing聽your bill and聽boosting聽home comfort.
5.听Run kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans:听Eliminate聽heat and humidity while cooking and showering to聽diminish聽the workload on your聽cooling system.
Invest in Low-Cost Upgrades
If you’re willing to聽invest聽a few dollars, you can put an even聽bigger聽dent in your聽air conditioning聽costs. Here are some聽wallet-friendly聽upgrades聽to consider:
6.听Purchase聽a programmable thermostat: If you still have聽a manual聽thermostat,聽consider聽upgrading. A聽programmable thermostat聽automatically聽adjusts聽the temperature聽according to聽your聽routine. You can聽trim聽AC聽expenditures聽聽by聽dialing聽the temperature back 7 to 10 degrees for eight hours聽a聽day. Thanks to automatic recovery periods, you can聽experience聽these savings without聽aggravation聽or discomfort.
7.听Schedule regular maintenance: Your聽air conditioning聽should have聽scheduled聽checkups to聽make certain聽it runs聽effectively聽and efficiently.聽Maintenance visits聽every spring also聽give technicians聽a chance to聽identify聽and聽deal with聽minor聽issues before they grow into expensive repairs. This small, predictable聽charge聽provides a聽substantial聽return on investment through聽improved聽efficiency and聽can lengthen the unit's life.
8.听Seal leaks: In聽a large number of聽homes, leaky windows and doors聽cause聽around聽聽of its cooling energy use.聽Fix聽those聽annoying聽leaks with caulk and weatherstripping.
9.听Add聽reflective window film: Window film reflects the sun’s rays to the聽exterior,聽reducing聽solar heat gain. This聽affordable聽upgrade is聽a great聽way to聽improve聽your older windows’ efficiency without聽buying new ones to replace聽them.
10.听Upgrade to LED lights: LEDs聽generate聽almost no heat and聽utilize聽a lot聽less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs. These聽qualities聽help keep your home聽more comfortable聽and聽reduce聽lighting costs as well.
Consider Long-Term Home Investments
If you’re聽looking聽to make more聽substantial聽changes,聽you may want to make聽the following investments to cut聽AC聽costs in the long run:
11.听Insulate the attic: Hot air can聽leak聽through the ceiling if your attic聽isn't聽properly聽insulated.聽Look聽inside the attic, and if you don’t see a聽substantial, even layer of insulation,聽you may want to look into聽adding more. Depending on what聽kind聽of insulation you聽have, you聽might聽need to聽contact聽a professional for the job.
12.听Plant trees for natural shade:聽Planting leafy trees on the south and west sides of your house聽blocks聽sunlight and聽creates聽a cool microclimate around your home, naturally聽lowering聽your cooling聽demands.
13.听Replace your windows: Old, single-pane windows let in聽quite a bit聽of heat,聽forcing聽your聽air conditioner聽to work harder.聽Buying new聽double- or triple-pane windows with聽state-of-the-art聽glazing features聽elevates聽your home’s air-tightness and keeps the interior cooler.
14.听Upgrade your AC system:听using聽an aging air conditioner聽costs more聽than you might think. Upgrading from a decade-old 10 SEER model to a聽modern-day聽15 SEER unit can聽聽on your聽cooling聽expenses. The savings聽opportunities聽of this purchase is even聽more聽if you’re聽willing聽to invest more up front.
15.听Install solar panels:听Solar panels聽convert sunlight into electricity to聽operate聽your聽air conditioner聽and other electric聽appliances. The ongoing聽expense reductions,聽combined聽with聽聽available through 2035, make this a聽worthwhile聽investment.
Save More on Your AC in the U.S With Help From 天美传媒
At 天美传媒, we聽make the extra step聽to聽provide聽exceptional聽HVAC services that help聽cut聽air conditioning costs in the long run. Because of our聽high-quality聽products, Expert knowledge, and attention to detail, we feel聽confident聽backing our work with a聽天美传媒 Guarantee.聽To learn more about how we can help聽lower聽your summer聽AC聽expenses, please聽reach out to聽the Experts at 天美传媒. Schedule your appointment by calling (866) 963-7996 today!
