Summer is an ideal time to learn how to save money and energy by lowering the temperature in your house and reducing the amount of air conditioning you need. In this article, you will discover many simple and cost-effective tips that you can start doing today to reduce your energy bill through the hot-weather months. 

Are you ready to keep cool and carry on your Summer with a lighter carbon footprint? Lower your energy bill with us by following our advice.

Turn On the Ceiling Fan

Your ceiling fan can turn counterclockwise to push cool air down and creates a wind chill effect that makes the room feel up to 4 degrees cooler. That can save you money on cooling costs and reduce the amount of wear and tear on your AC unit by letting you keep your thermostat at a higher temperature. 

If you don’t know, your ceiling fan has a small switch that changes the direction it rotates. You should always set your ceiling fans to run clockwise in cold weather and counterclockwise in hot weather. This will help your home feel cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. 

Seal Drafts

If you want to save money this summer on your electric bill, you need to become well acquainted with two new friends – caulk and weather stripping. 

These two energy heroes do a phenomenal job at stopping the cool air-conditioned air in your home from escaping, and the hot, humid weather outside from seeping in. 

Check around your windows and doors, but don’t stop there. A commonly overlooked place where heat creeps in is your air ducts. If the ductwork integrity is compromised by pests like rodents, the holes can cause warm air and humidity to get inside and reduce the efficiency of your AC system. 

If you can access your vents in an attic space, it may be easy to spot tears and repair them yourself. However, if your ductwork is more complex and difficult to access, you should call in professionals like those at Action Air Conditioning to check your ducts and insulate them properly.

Programmable Thermostat Settings

Schedule your cooling system to run more when you need it most, and run less when you don’t. Programmable thermostats have been around for decades, but not many homeowners use them. Perhaps that’s because they aren’t sure how.

By raising the indoor temperature when you are away from home or asleep, you save on cooling costs. Especially at night, when temperatures outdoors are typically lower, it’s the perfect time to give your air conditioner a break. 

Smart Thermostat

What’s better than a programmable thermostat? A smart thermostat! 

Smart thermostats are fantastic solutions for people who live unpredictable or chaotic lives. When you set up your smart thermostat, it connects to your smartphone and detects your location so that you never have to miss an opportunity to save on energy again!

You can set it to automatically raise the temperature when you leave the house and lower it when you arrive again. Just like traditional programmable thermostats, you can also set a schedule for smart thermostats, but if you need to change it suddenly, you can do so from an app on your smartphone. 

Leaving for a trip can be stressful when you are trying to remember everything. And when you forget to change your programmable thermostat to vacation mode, you will pay more than you have to on energy costs. But smart thermostats can save the day by allowing you to adjust your thermostat from anywhere in the world.

Unplug Your Electronics

Consider how many electronics in your home have electricity coursing through it right now. If it has a time display or an indicator light on all the time, it’s using energy constantly.

Some appliances like refrigerators need to be plugged in all the time, but many devices can be unplugged to lower energy bills this Summer. In fact, you can save up to 20% by pulling the plug on power-draining electronics. Consider, for instance, your laptop, microwave, or coffee maker.

To make this process easier, you can use a surge protector power strip with a switch to plug your electronics into. This makes it easy to turn them on and off quickly and safely without messing with dangerous outlets and cords.

Cover Your Windows 

Florida is called the Sunshine State for an excellent reason – we get a lot of sunny days. You might be tempted to open your windows to let in the natural light instead of using artificial light from lamps and fixtures. And that can make sense in cooler weather, but keeping them closed on hot days is your best option.

Why?

When your air conditioner is already struggling to cool your home on a sweltering day, letting the hot rays of the sun pour into your rooms will heat up everything it touches. 

By covering your windows with blinds, curtains, or tinted film, you can drastically reduce the heat in your home and lower your energy bill. But don’t turn on all your lights, either! Only keep the lights on that you are using when you are in the room because even lightbulbs emit heat!

Maintenance Your AC

The last tip we have for you is a no-brainer. When you schedule regular maintenance for your cooling system, you ensure that your air conditioner is performing at its best. An efficient AC will use a minimum amount of energy while it works to keep your home cool. 

If you need to schedule your next AC Maintenance appointment, get in touch with us today!