With summer almost here, homeowners will increasingly be using their air conditioners, leading to a spike in cooling bills. However, there are some easy hacks you can learn to cover or cut your cooling costs. If you want to start this new season out with low cooling costs, keep reading this guide by the pros at American Air, Plumbing, and Electrical!
- Set Your Thermostat at a Higher Setting
According to the Department of Energy, you can save up to 10% on cooling costs if you increase your thermostat settings by up to 7-10 degrees for 8 hours a day. Try this out for a month or so and see if it makes a difference in your energy bill. The best way to achieve this is to make use of your programmable thermostat’s scheduling feature, which allows you to schedule temperature daily or weekly. - Use Ceiling Fans
Using ceiling fans is another way you can reduce cooling costs! Set your air conditioner setting a few degrees higher and turn on the fan. While fans don’t cool rooms, they can create a wind-chill effect that will cool the occupants in that room. Don’t make your AC work harder than it needs to and use your fan instead!Pro tip: Consider choosing Energy-Star ceiling fans that are 60% more efficient than fan/light units! - Insulate and Seal Your Home
By adding insulation to your home, you can prevent excess heat gain, which will force your air conditioner to run constantly or overtime. By sealing up air leaks in your home, you can improve your indoor air quality as well as your AC’s performance. Adding insulation and fixing air leaks can reduce heating and cooling costs by 20% and overall energy costs by 10%!Insulation requires professional input, so make sure you find an insulation contractor you trust to inspect your home for spots that need insulation. However, when it comes to sealing up your home, you can try taking the DIY route. The most common spots for air leaks are your doors and windows, so make sure the weatherstripping material isn’t wearing out. If you need new weatherstripping material, you can easily find it at your nearest home improvement store. - Shut the Blinds
Don’t let the sun in by making sure to shut the curtains and blinds in your home. This can reduce excess heat gain and keep you cool in the summer season! This can even save energy as a lot of heat gain can force your AC to work overtime to provide the cooling that your home needs!
Want More Hacks to Cover Cooling Costs? Get in Touch with The Pros at American Air, Plumbing, and Electrical!
If you want more hacks to cover and cut cooling costs, get in touch with the pros at American Air, Plumbing, and Electrical! Our team of professionals will be more than happy to answer your questions and assist you in maintaining, repairing, and servicing your HVAC unit. Call us today at (407) 603-4410 or schedule a service online!
