Thursday, April 7, 2016

Five Air Conditioning Money Saving Tips

For those of us in the East Valley, air conditioning is essential. The thought of going an entire summer without it is worse than the idea of running a marathon in flip-flops. Unless you plan to treat every day in your house like a hot yoga class, air conditioning is not an optional feature of your home.

Once temperatures start to climb and your air conditioning unit is running overtime, your energy bill can start to skyrocket. Budgeting for those hotter months can be tough. Here are a few ideas to keep costs down:

  • Use ceiling and/or oscillating fans to circulate the air. This is probably in the "staying cool 101" manual, but it makes a big impact. Make sure your ceiling fans are circulating in the correct direction to push cool air down and suck up the warm air.
  • Turn off your lights. If it's daytime, there is no need for lights on in the house. They will not only use up more energy, but they will aid in the heating of your house as well. Halogen lights in particular create an abundance of heat.
  • Keep doors and windows closed. You may think getting fresh air will help, but all that does is push more hot air in, making your air conditioner work harder. Make sure all windows and doors are sealed so nothing can sneak through cracks.
  • Utilize different zones with your thermostat. If you have the option of using zones with your thermostat, use that to your advantage. For example, cool the rooms you use the most more and keep the lesser-used rooms a little warmer. If you don't have zone options, close the vents in those lesser-used rooms so more cool air flows through the open vents in the busier areas of your home. 
  • Keep your air conditioner in good shape. If you have an old AC unit, make sure you are properly maintaining it. If there is even the smallest thing wrong, your air conditioner may work overtime even when it doesn't need to, and your energy bill will take a hit. 

As the spring and summer months approach, be sure to put these cost saving techniques into play in your home. You and your family will still be happy, and your wallet will be happy too.

Contact us today to learn more about how to save money this spring and summer!