Summertime brings both rising temperatures and electric bills that can leave you feeling like ?. Luckily there are some energy saving ideas to keep your home cool and comfortable in the heat of summer without emptying your pocketbook. Here are 7 ways to save on your A/C bills this summer.
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Program your thermostat and up the temperature
Have you ever asked yourself what is an efficient temperature to set my A/C at during the summer? The Department of Energy recommends setting your thermostat at 78ºF when home. You’ll want to set it as high as you comfortably can when home and program it 7-10 degrees higher than your normal setting for 4-8 hours a day when you’re gone. Simply programming your thermostat can save you about 10% per year on your electricity bills according to The Department of Energy. The theory that it costs less to keep your A/C at the same temperature all day. CNET.com says A/C units can run on high more efficiently for several hours than kicking on and off all day. The overall takeaway is the less discrepancy between the exterior and interior temperature, the lower the bill.
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Use fans
After it has cooled down during the night or early morning hours and before it heats up again, turn off the A/C and open a window. You can place a fan in an open window and then open one on the opposite side of your home to capture and circulate the cooler air. If you have a ceiling fan keep it on while in the room because it can make it feel up to 10º cooler and it is less expensive to run. Remember to turn the ceiling fan off when you leave the room since it’s designed to cool people with the wind chill effect and not so much the room itself.
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Close blinds and curtains
Before it starts heating up in the morning close the windows to trap the cool air. Then close your curtains or blinds to avoid heat gain. Especially, during the hottest part of the day. On a side note avoid using the oven or other appliances that put off a lot of heat on hot days. You can grill outside instead!
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Don’t heat up the thermostat
You want to make sure that you don’t place lamps, TVs, electronics or other appliances that generate heat right by your thermostat. This will make it kick on more often than needed. LED bulbs don’t get as hot as less efficient ones so you’ll want as many LED bulbs as possible.
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Use cold water and a full washer and dryer
It is easy to forget about your appliances when you are thinking so much about your thermostat. One way to save is by washing and drying full loads and using cold water (this also works for a dishwasher). You can try using your dryer when it is hot rather than letting it sit and cool down completely between loads.
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Avoid peak hours
When needing to run your washer and dryer, your dishwasher, or other major appliances it’s best to avoid the peak hours to save money on your electric bill. In Utah those peak hours are between 1 PM – 8 PM when energy costs the most.
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Regularly maintain your A/C
Clean off your A/C condenser of debris and change your filters. This is how you can make sure your A/C is running most efficiently.
