Reduce Cooling Costs : Most people these days will run their air conditioning at some point or another during the summer season. Your season will start early if you live in the southern US and that is one of the reasons we are writing this post today. Air conditioning uses a lot of electricity and with prices rising everywhere this is a great place to look for cost savings and ways to control your electrical cost.
But even if you live in southern Canada and only run your AC for two weeks during the year, you may still want to read this post, since you can always save some money by reducing your AC usage and reducing your electrical costs. Whether you use a window air conditioner or a central air conditioner to cool your home, they both use a lot of electricity. Some people will also use AC during even the relatively cooler times in an effort to reduce the amount of pollen in the air coming into their homes in the spring if they suffer from allergies. During windy days, if you keep your windows closed you may want your AC on as well.
This website is all about saving money and with the cost of electricity going up so much in many states and provinces, it is becoming more important to control consumption.
AC uses a lot of electricity when it is running, so controlling it and maintaining it well can save you lots of money or at least reduce your monthly electrical bill. The cost of AC in the summertime for people living in the southern US can be as high or higher than corresponding heating costs for people in Canada!
Guide to Reduce Cooling Costs
The following list includes the standard approach to reducing your AC electrical bill and some others you may not have thought of. Let us know if we have missed any by leaving us with your comments. We will be happy to add them so our readers can benefit. Here we go:
- Obviously, turn up the thermostat several degrees especially during the day
- Don’t use AC until you absolutely cannot stand it anymore
- Turn on the AC for evening hours while you are sleeping
- Let evening breezes cool your home
- Keep window shades drawn on the side of the house that the sun shines in the windows
- Use ceiling fans to keep the air moving, even if the air conditioning is running
- Also, Use regular fans to keep the air moving
- Use fans in your bedroom at night to circulate the air
- Cook outside on the barbecue instead of using the oven
- Use the Microwave to heat or cook foods, it generates less heat
- Go for a swim, private or public
More Tips
- Clear any debris away from the outside AC unit
- Keep plants and shrubs from crowding the outside AC unit
- Clean the inside of your furnace once per year
- Change your filter at the beginning of the season
- Change your filter or clean your filter once per month
- Turn off any humidifier on the furnace or otherwise
- Have your AC checked to make sure it is working efficiently
- Adjust all vents to ensure proper distribution of air through the house
- Close bottom cold air returns
- Open ceiling level cold air returns
- Cool only rooms that you use
- Avoid using your AC during high rate hours during the mid-day
- Make sure there are no open drafts from outdoors
- Plant trees to provide shade on the west side of the house. This will shade the house from the hot afternoon sun
- If you are away on vacation for a few days, either turn up the temperature or turn off the AC while you are away
Following all of these items mentioned above will help to keep your AC costs for electricity as low as it can possibly be.
Let us know if we missed any. Both us and our readers want to know all possible ways of keeping our AC bill to the lowest level possible.