Ah, good-ole summertime. Cue the barbecues, beach days, and…higher electric bills! With the increased use of your AC to keep your home cool, comes the dreaded summertime electric bills. But it doesn’t have to be this way! Learn three ways to save money on your electric bill this summer from the Tampa AC repair experts at Super Heat & Air, and enjoy your summer without the summertime electric bill blues!
Turn Off Your AC When You Don’t Need It
Turning your AC off or thermostat up when you are sleeping can result in huge savings. Also, adjusting the temperature when you leave the house can help you save. While we all love to walk into a cool house, your AC thermostat should actually be set to about 78-80 degrees when you aren’t home. For every degree that the thermostat is raised you can look at saving 4% to 8% on cooling costs! (We also can’t forget to mention that not running your AC on full blast will help save on costly repair costs in the event that your unit breaks down!)
You might be wondering how you would be able to live without AC at night, but it is doable! A ceiling fan is a great tool to use alongside your AC. Did you know that a ceiling fan helps cool down a room by around 4 degrees? You may even be able to eliminate AC altogether by solely using a fan on cooler nights (though we know those can be tough to come by in the Florida summer).
Pro Tip: Use a programmable thermostat which will allow you to program the hours that your home will be vacant and when you will be asleep. During those times, it will adjust your airflow and temperature accordingly.
Clean Your AC Vents and Units
In order for your AC unit to function efficiently, its filters, coils, and fins must be cleaned and maintained regularly. It’s simple: a clean AC is an effective one. The best thing that you can do for your AC unit is to routinely clean and replace its filters. Clogged and dirty filters not only are horrible for the air quality in your home, but also can block normal airflow and reduce the efficiency of your unit significantly. Replacing a dirty, clogged filter can lower your air conditioner’s energy consumption by 5-15% which equals lower energy costs!
Block the Sun
Window drapes and blinds aren’t just for decoration and privacy, they help keep your house cool and save energy. When fully pulled down over a window with a good amount of sun exposure, blinds can reduce the heat gain by up to 45%! During hot summer days, closed curtains and drapes can reduce the heat gain by 33%!
Depending on how many windows you have in your house, heavy drapes can be an effective way of keeping your house cool. But if buying drapes for all of the windows in your home is too expensive, you could opt to hang them in the areas of your house that get the most sun exposure.
Pro Tip: It’s worth noting that it is a good idea to keep the lights off in your home during the day. This move not only will help reduce your electric bill significantly by reducing your electric use during the day, but also keeps your home cool in case you need to turn on your air conditioner later.
Summer doesn’t have to be expensive and a drain on your expenses! With these few changes, you can save on your energy costs and have more fun this summer. Stay cool friends!
A well maintained AC unit is key to efficiency and lower energy bills during the summer. Contact Tampa AC repair company Super Heat & Air for a quote on AC maintenance and make sure your AC is in tip top shape for the coming hot Florida summer season!
