How To Cut Your Cooling Costs Over The Summer
Summer is a great time filled with fun in the sun! But the heat can come with a significant price tag that can mess up your whole year. With temperatures reaching new records every summer, it’s worthwhile to look into ways that can help you keep cooling costs down so you’re comfortable without breaking the bank.
Minimize Added Heat To Your Home
In the summer, it can be very hot outside and unfortunately, there’s nothing to be done about that. But we can take small steps that prevent heat from building up in the home throughout the day. Things like cooking can drive the temperature up quickly, so try to plan for barbecues, reheated meals or using appliances like slow cookers or air fryers on especially hot days.
In addition, keeping curtains and blinds closed during the part of the day the sunshine is most intense through your windows can do a lot to keep things cool indoors. And while it’s not an immediate solution, remember that planting trees now will let you grow some natural shade in the future.
Be Smart About Cooling
Lots of people have tips and tricks they use to run their air conditioners more economically. Some of them really work, while others are ineffective at best, if not counterproductive. Try to keep the thermostat set as high as you can reasonably be comfortable. And investing in a programmable thermostat that can minimize cooling when nobody’s home or in unused rooms is ideal. Try not to run the air conditioner on a much lower setting in an effort to cool the house faster, HVAC professionals say this approach doesn’t work and is more likely to drive costs up when you forget to adjust it later.
Use Mechanical Cooling When Possible
Running a ceiling or oscillating fan is a lot cheaper than running an air conditioning unit. So make use of these methods of cooling whenever possible. While it won’t make a huge difference to the overall temperature of your home, the air movement can do a lot to make you feel cooler, meaning you don’t have to run your air conditioner as hard. Likewise, evaporative coolers are a cheaper option that can be pretty effective, as long as you don’t also have high humidity to contend with.
Keep Your Air Conditioner in Tip-Top Shape
A well maintained air conditioner unit or system is the most efficient. Regular tune ups, inspections and maintenance can make a huge difference to the amount of energy they require to run. A little money on maintenance can save you a lot on your power bill. At Ideal Conditions, we’re familiar with a wide number of brands and cooling systems in residential applications. Our experience and trained professionals can help you keep things humming along smoothly with HVAC installation, maintenance and repair. So give us a call today at 904-379-8762, we’re available 24/7!