Now that muggy weather is just around the corner, it’s the ideal time of year to start looking for practical ways to keep your summer energy bills from soaring along with the temperatures. Fortunately, it’s easier than you might think to stay cool for less. Keep reading to learn how.
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Replace Your Old A/C with a More Energy-Efficient System
If your air conditioner is showing its age and hasn’t been cooling as well as it once did, it may be time to invest in a new, efficient version. Some systems are specifically marketed as ENERGY STAR models, which means they must meet certain minimums parameters of energy efficiency. There are also energy-efficiency ratings that enable you to determine how efficient particular units are as compared to others.
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Use Your Air Conditioner on a Timer
Some air conditioners have “sleep” modes that automatically turn the appliances to lower cooling levels during hours when people in the household are generally sleeping. If your air conditioner is equipped with this setting, it’s a great way to reduce your summer energy costs. Because the cooling level will be less during times when people in your household are less active, you most likely won’t find the lower output as bothersome.
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Use a Portable Air Conditioner as a Supplement
If you have a central cooling system, it’s a good idea to consider investing in a portable air conditioner that you can rely upon when you need to cool down rooms with short bursts of air. For example, if you’re cooking in the kitchen and that activity causes the room to become very stuffy, you could use a portable air conditioner to reduce the temperature more quickly than you could if you were only using central air conditioning.
A portable air conditioner is also helpful if some people in your home are more sensitive to heat and need their rooms to be kept extremely cool. Rather than having the temperature in the whole house at a very low level, you can simply place portable air conditioners around your home where they are most needed.
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Use Fans
You may be in a situation where it feels like the air conditioner just can’t cool down the room effectively, especially if it’s a very large space. In that case, it may be helpful to install a ceiling fan, use a box fan or purchase a rotating pedestal fan. These appliances boost the airflow in the room so the coolness circulates instead of being restricted to a small part of the room.
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Get a Tune-up for Your Air Conditioner
A thorough servicing from a qualified HVAC professional can make a big difference in how well your air conditioner functions. Before the weather gets too warm, schedule an appointment for an air conditioning technician to come to your home, assess your system and make sure everything is working at optimal efficiency.
By following these five easy tips, you can reduce your cooling costs and still stay comfortable, even in hot weather.
