Even though you are no longer heating your home, and everyone is spending a great deal more of their time outdoors most people find that their utility bills go up, not down, during the summer. Most blame their air conditioning system, whether it’s a central air system, a split mini or the home relies on individual window-based units. And they may, for the most part, be right.
But you may not actually need to invest in a new cooling system – although it is never a bad idea to check and a checkup of your existing system will certainly help – to lower those bills. There are in fact some rather simple, common sense things you can do to lower your summer energy bills without having to make any big changes to the cooling system at all:
Finally Invest in a Programmable Thermostat
If you have not already, make this the summer you finally invest in a programmable thermostat. There are certain times of the day, even on the hottest days, that it really won’t kill you – or make you too uncomfortable – to raise the thermostat controlling your cooling system by a few degrees to save money. But really, who has time or even the opportunity, to keep messing with the thermostat every hour?
Installing a programmable thermostat can solve this problem though. And you do have choices. You can spend $30-$40 on a bare bones model from the local hardware store or you can splurge a bit on a smart thermostat that will last for years and pretty much pay for itself in energy savings in a very short time anyway.
Stop Over-Using Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans can be a big help in the summer if you are trying to cut your energy bills, but only if they are used in the right way, something many people do not do.
The mistakes come from a lack of understanding of the way ceiling fans cool. The simple fact is that they really don’t. All they really do is work by making you feel cooler by circulating air against your skin, they DO NOT lower the temperature in the room in any way. This means they are really only of any use when people are actually in the room. leaving one running in an empty room is therefore simply a waste of electricity.
Dry Laundry in the Sun
The simple fact is that any clothes dry can be a real energy suck at any time of year but when it is used in the summer it also raises the temperature in the air (however good or new a model it is) which forces your A/C system to work harder. Therefore, in the summer months try to make use of Mother Nature’s own clothes drying system – the sun and the wind in your garden – as much as possible. A standard straight clothesline is usually not too hard to install in the backyard and if you invest in a free standing rotary version it’s even easier.
Caulk Those Cracks
Many of us only think about looking for, and then filling in, cracks – especially around doors and windows – in the winter to save energy but doing so in the summer is just as important. Even tiny cracks that allow the cooled air indoors to escape and warm air to seep in will result in an overworked A/C system, so one afternoon with a caulking gun could make a big difference.
Quit Cooking Indoors
One surefire way to quickly heat up your home is to use your stove and other kitchen appliances to make your meals. Certainly, you and your family do still need to eat in the summer, but you don’t always have to heat up the whole kitchen to do it.
There are several ways to keep your kitchen cool without starving everyone in order to do so. Swap heavy meals for lighter salads (which many of us naturally do when the weather gets warmer anyway) or use your microwave instead of the stovetop or oven. And the best idea of all? Get outside and grill. The kitchen will stay cool and let’s face it, it’s lots of fun too, even if you don’t stay outside to eat the spoils of your labor.
If you have any questions about our range of services, please do not hesitate to contact us on 816-436-1000 or email us: service@arcticairkc.com. One of our friendly and knowledgeable staff members will be happy to assist you in any way they can and answer all your queries.