There are many ways to keep your energy costs under control during the hottest months of the year. Maintaining your air conditioner and keeping the sun’s heat out of your house are the two most important ways to save.
- Have your air conditioner maintained annually by a qualified technician and check your air filter monthly.
- Consider upgrading to an ENERGY STAR air conditioner. If the central air conditioning unit is more than 12 years old, replacing it with an ENERGY STAR qualified model could cut cooling costs by 30%.
- Close blinds, shades and draperies to reflect the sun’s heat. Remember that white window coverings reflect sunlight, and dark coverings will absorb the heat.
- Turn off the ceiling fan when not in the room. Ceiling fans cool people — not rooms. If the room is unoccupied, turn off the ceiling fan to save energy.
- Turn up the thermostat. An optimal setting for improved energy efficiency is at or above 78 degrees. For every degree you turn up the temperature, you could save 2% to 3% on your cooling bill.
- Minimize the use of ovens, stoves, dryers and other major appliances on very hot days. Their usage could require the air conditioner to run longer.
For more great way to save see our complete list of home cooling tips, home energy saving tips and water saving tips.