staff The temperatures can soar to unbearable levels during the summer – sometimes even life-threatening ones. It’s important to keep cool during these times – but you don’t want to have to pay a lot when it comes to bills. Here are several ways to lower your AC bill.
Make It Shady Around Your Home
Nothing makes your place hotter than having the sun relentlessly beat down on it. You can plant some trees that will grow nice and tall and block out a lot of the sunlight. While it’s not going to automatically make your place a lot cooler, it will allow you to not have to put your air conditioner on constant blast, which will drive your energy usage through the roof.
Cover Up Windows
Having the sun streaming in through the windows can make cats and dogs happy – it gives them a nice warm spot. It can also contribute to making your place a lot hotter in the summer. You can get window screens or even window film that will reflect the heat off the window and not let it get through the glass. The only drawback with the film is that the windows have to stay shut all the time, while you can open windows with screens. Think about getting solar window shades. All of this will help you keep your bill down.
Use a Smart Thermostat
No more having to constantly adjust the thermostat yourself. You can have your thermostat scheduled to turn on or off at certain times of the day or night. You can even use your smartphone to run it. This will allow you to set your thermostat as high as possible when at home, and you can save even more by setting them higher when you get home. By doing this, you will be able to save up to 10% off your energy bill.
Use Ceiling Fans
"Don’t they just push air around?" That’s only if you try to use the fan by itself. If you have fans on the upper levels of your place and windows on the lower ones, you can run the fans and open the windows. This will let air circulate and keep it cool. You can really benefit from this since the moving air evaporates the sweat on your skin. So, you’ll feel better if you are doing strenuous activities – still keep hydrated, though.
Have Your AC Regularly Serviced
Having an AC that is running ineffectively due to a variety of issues can be a drain on your energy, since it has to work harder. That will mean a larger bill. Be sure that you have an expert technician come in every year or even six months, to inspect it and make sure that it’s operating as it should be. The technician will fine-tune it by doing things like cleaning filters and the coils of both the evaporator and condenser. By doing that, it will allow the AC to be operating at peak efficiency. As a result, you should have a lower energy bill after that.
Over the decades, air conditioning technology has continuously improved. There is a standard now, called Energy Saver, that lets the AC conserve energy at certain times. You want one that has a high energy efficiency ratio. You might want to consider individual units or ductless ones over central AC. That’s because the ducts tend to leak. Another way to save is to seal any leaks in your home – drafty windows can drain a lot of air and energy.
If you do all of the above things, then you are going to have a much better chance of having a fantastic summer. That’s because you will be able to be cool and comfortable when the sun and temperatures are at their peak, and you won’t be hot under the collar when you get your energy bill. That will make the efforts worth it.
