Tips for Reducing your Air Conditioning Bills
Summer is right around the corner, which for many of us means family outings, BBQ's, and general summer fun! Summer also means the unfortunate return of higher electricity bills via our air conditioners. Short of spending thousands of dollars replacing your old system with a new, high efficiency unit, there are other things you can do to help save money on your electricity bill this summer.
- Keep your thermostat set at a higher temperature. Even if you set your thermostat 2 degrees above where you normally set it can save you tons of money.
- Keep all of your east, south, and west window curtains shut during the day, or at least when the sun is shining on that particular side of the house. Curtains can keep out the heat, and help lower your overall cooling bills.
- Check your doors and windows for small gaps and holes in them and around them. Fix the glass that is broken with replacement glass, and take some caulking and fill in the cracks around your windows and doors!
- Beef up the insulation in your home. If the insulation in your attic isn't at least 12-15 inches above the ceiling joists, you most likely do not have enough insulation. Insulation benefits your home in both the winter and the summer, as it keeps cool air in during the summer, and vice versa in the winter.
- If you are in the market for new appliances, upgrade to new, energy star appliances. Older appliances are less efficient, and thus give off more heat, contributing negatively to your lower air conditioning bill effort. At the very least, replace the light bulbs in your house with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL's), as they use less wattage, and therefore less heat.
- Are you painting the exterior of your home this summer? When picking a color, also consider that a darker exterior color can raise your cooling bills! A lighter color traps less heat, and you know what that leads to!
- Shade your east-west windows from the heat of the summer sun! Install sun shades over your windows, or construct a shade from trellis material! They sky is the limit on your design!
- Don't have central a/c? Consider installing a whole house fan! Simply open the windows of your house and turn on the whole house fan. The fan creates a powerful suction that sucks in the cool air from the outside and forces the hot air up and out of your house. I have one and love it!
- If you don't have them already, consider installing ceiling fans in the main living areas of your home. They do not actually decrease room temperature, but simply move air around, so the room feels cooler. Plus, they are a beautiful addition to any room!
