Beat the Summer Heat: 5 Tips for Saving Money on Your Air Conditioning
By energy_linguist, July 21, 2010, Energy Efficiency
It’s hot.
In other news, the world is indeed round and the ocean actually made of water.
Look, when it comes to beating the intense summer heat, let’s face it. Most of us, to a certain degree, try to be frugal with our AC usage and a bit more energy efficient when we can. We may opt to plug in a few more fans, but in all reality, a sudden heat wave and a busy family means more AC.
A bigger concern is the amount of stress and strain you can place on an air conditioning unit during the hottest months of the year. Recently, my lovely girlfriend and I spent two+ weeks without AC downstairs while we played musical chairs with the contractor, landlord, etc.
What started as a simple compressor fix turned into a multiple-condenser-unit nightmare. Heck, our contractor ended up spending nearly 5 hours installing a new furnace while leaving the AC fix to the last minute … like gas heating in June is crucial.
So rather than shut it off entirely and risk heat exhaustion or worse, I’ve prepared 5 very simple tips for saving money on your air conditioning that may very well save you from additional hassles with a broken down AC unit:
- Keep you air filters clean by checking regularly (twice per month for cheaper filters).
- Avoid fancy or expensive air filters. Though they may fit snugly and capture more dust and debris, they can also restrict the airflow, putting more strain on your system. Go with standard air filters (mid range are generally white, not the cheap blue fiber) and save a buck or two from the get go.
- Keep doors and shades closed as much as possible during the hottest part of the day to reduce cool air leakage.
- Run AC in low-trafficked areas of the house around 79-80 degrees (keeping doors closed and window shades/blinds down with help reduce strain).
- Consider purchasing a programmable thermostat, which will allow you to control temperatures while out of the house (and during the hottest parts of the day). Certain units will also allow you to set temperature on a timer, a useful feature that you can use to cool your home 30 minutes before returning from work. The gradual cooling will allow you to walk into a comfortable house and not be tempted to fry your unit by dropping the temp way down as soon as return.
All in all, smart conservation habits are the most important tools you’ll have to combat high cooling bills. Saving money on air conditioning is quite simple … and doesn’t require a whole heap of discomfort to achieve.
Follow @BounceEnergy
Comments (2)
These are good tips. We keep our blinds closed and keep the ceiling fan on when we’re in the room you can really feel the difference! You wouldn’t know the thermostat was set at 80 degrees.
Thanks Brooke,
We do almost exactly the same in both bedrooms upstairs. Since we both work from home, it doesn’t make sense to have the AC blasting in an area of the house that literally stays vacant for several hours of the day.