During the summer months in Florida, we broil! But during our “winter” months, temperatures moderate, and your AC is used less.
You can lower utility bills while still keeping your home comfortable if you follow these simple tips from American Air Cares.
1. Keep the windows open during cool nights
If you leave your A/C running throughout the day, then you may lower utility bills easily with the aid of mother nature. Opening your windows on those cool nights is a free and straightforward way of allowing some crisp and fresh air to flow through your house.
The Department of Energy recommends that if your local climate is characterized by cooler nights, you can turn off the cooling system, open your windows, and enjoy your sleep in a cool and fresh environment. The addition of outdoor air can also increase your indoor air quality.
When the cool breezes finally come through, enjoy them!
2. Lower Utility Bills: Uphold regular HVAC maintenance
You can also conserve significant amounts of energy if you ensure that your A/C unit runs efficiently. The most crucial maintenance role to keep your air conditioner efficient would be routinely replacing worn-out filters. The task is easy and will take you a few minutes to complete.
With a clean filter, your A/C unit will be 5-15% more efficient.
3. Program the thermostat to reduce usage at night
During summer weather, nights are usually less hot. So you can save on energy by setting your thermostat to reduce usage. This also works if you turn up the thermostat of your air conditioner whenever there is no one in the house.
Both of these techniques are effective, even if you only turn it up every one or two hours when the family is out for dinner.
You can set your programmable thermostat to higher temperatures for a bigger part of the day. But afterward, you can set it back to a lower reading shortly before everyone returns. Also, you should adjust the levels when leaving for a vacation, whether short or extended. Especially during these cooler winter months, this could lead to considerable savings in your next electric bill.
4. Shade your air conditioner
Another accepted method of increasing the efficiency of your HVAC and cutting on cooling costs is by placing the outdoor condenser unit in the shade. The process cools the air around the device, thus making it easy for the unit to cool the house environment and push hot air out. This move would be worthwhile if you have a large area with a shade.
By shading your unit with trees, you can increase its efficiency by as much as 10 percent. This could translate to between $100 – $250 annually on cooling costs while slashing your home’s air conditioning costs by up to 50 percent.
5. Seal any window that is not in use
You can implement several minor adjustments around your home to lower the utility bills, and this applies to both the summer and winter seasons. By sealing these windows, you will have reduced the amount of air leaking in and outside the home. This way, you will cut on both cooling and heating costs as you also improve the durability of your unit, make your indoor environment healthier, and increase comfort.
A majority of leaks take place through doors, windows, and vents leading outside.
6. Ventilate your rooms with fans
Using a fan alongside your AC or, during the cooler part of the year, using a fan only, may cut your electrical bill. With a ceiling fan on, you can still achieve the same comfort even if you adjust the thermostat setting by raising its temperature. This is because the breeze created by the fan brings about a cooling effect, lowering the room temperatures below the actual air temperature.
If you need air conditioning service in Port St. Lucie, and surrounding areas, American Air Cares will ensure your unit works efficiently. They have been in business for over 25 years, and are home owned and operated. They are licensed and insured, and ready to answer any questions you have. Give them a call!
