Save on Air Conditioning Bills

After the dead, cold, weariness of winter, we all long for leisurely summers, but as the season approaches, we soon remember the utility bills that come with the enjoyment of the warm weather. Cooling your home is necessary, but there are some corners that can be cut in order to assure that your electric bill is not quite as daunting.

Reconsider seventy-two degrees. It has been said that for every degree you adjust your thermostat accordingly, you can save six percent on your pending bill. You will not notice a difference in a degree or two, and this will instantly accrue savings. Use ceiling fans, and portable fans, and days that the wind is blowing in your favor. Use the fans in to either push air through a room or to accommodate a space that you or someone occupies persistently like your favorite reading spot, the nursery, or the recliner in front of the big screen. Use a nice breeze as the driving force between two opposing windows in lieu of running the A/C when at all possible.

Take scientific research into consideration. It is proven that the body relaxes and begins to anticipate sleep with a few degree temperature drop. If you take a shower at night, set the thermostat down a degree or two, and go to bed while you are cool, you will sleep better. It is also easier for a unit to cool the home throughout overnight hours, and the temperature can be maintained throughout the morning and early afternoon with less work from cooling unit. That means less energy is being used and less energy means less money will be paid at the end of the billing cycle.

Do not focus on just the A/C to try to save money in the summer. Keeping the curtains drawn and blinds closed will save energy as well, and being privy to peak and off-peak energy use hours can help immensely with the cost of energy. Most people consume most of their energy between five in the afternoon and bedtime. If you have the advantage of being at home in the mornings, use this off peak time to run big spenders like major appliances, and try to hold on to the cool environment you have created overnight by keeping the house in shadows.

Lastly, but most importantly, have your cooling unit checked yearly for maintenance needs, and take seriously the suggestions of the HVAC technician. He knows what repairs need to be made in order to make your unit run efficiently, so heed his advice. A unit that is running smoothly and correctly cools more efficiently costing you less.