Summer is now officially here! That means excruciatingly hot temperatures are coming. For most of us, that means higher electricity bills as we bump the thermostats down a few degrees for some relief from the heat. It’s tough having to choose between being comfortable at home and being able to enjoy certain pleasures such as taking a vacation. But, did you know that there are some things you can do to avoid having to dig deeper into the piggy bank during the summer months? Here are a few helpful tips to save on your energy bills during those dog days of Summer.

1. Turn your thermostat up a few (between 3 and 7) degrees while you are away from home.  Many erroneously believe that it saves money to turn your AC unit off when you are not home. But, this is not true. It doesn’t take a brainiac to know the temp in your house goes up when the AC is off. Depending upon certain factors such as the age of your home, how well-insulated it is, the direction your home faces (homes that face south or west tend to be more susceptible to heat infiltration), the size of your home vs the size of your AC unit (the bigger the house the longer the cool, the smaller the system slower the cooling time),  and where your home is (wooded areas tend to be cooler than open rural areas or subdivisions due to there being more shade) the temperature in your home rises more quickly. So, if you turn your system off when you are away, and your home is one that tends to heat up more quickly, it will actually use more energy to re-cool than it would to sustain a temperature that is a few degrees higher than you keep the temp set on while you are home.  This is due to the need for the air conditioner to practically run non-stop in order to keep up.
2. Set the temperature between 70 and 78 degrees. When it is in the hundreds out, or if you’re hot-natured, you’ve probably been tempted to set the AC as low as the temp will go in an effort to cool off more quickly. If you do, you might be part reptile. Just kidding.. But seriously, the lower your temperature setting, the longer your AC system runs to keep up.  It will not cool any faster, especially if you are in an older home or live in an open area with little availability of shade. This can lead to your system potentially freezing up along with shortening the lifespan of your equipment. Not to mention the added electricity it uses while the unit constantly runs.
3. Don’t cover your vents or filter grilles. Vents are not the most attractive element in a home, but when you try to hide them beneath furniture or behind drapes, the system doesn’t get the air flow it needs to run efficiently and maintain a comfortable temperature indoors. Keep them uncovered and dust them often for a healthy, more efficient HVAC system.
4. Don’t close doors or vents to unused rooms. It is a widely-believed myth that closing the doors to bedrooms and bathrooms will help cool your home more quickly. But, just as in the case of closing and covering vents, this will restrict the circulation and flow of air throughout your home, causing your unit to run longer and work harder, thus leading to higher energy costs.
5. Regular maintenance and filter changes. Most HVAC companies and manufacturers will tell you that you need to do maintenance on your heating and air unit twice per year and change your filters every month. Trust us, this is not a ploy to make more money off of you as people assume, nor is it a suggestion. An air conditioning unit is very similar to a car. If you don’t change the oil in your vehicle or rotate the tires, you won’t get as much mileage out of your car and eventually you will end up spending insane amounts of money on repairs or replacing with a new car altogether. In the same way, your AC unit needs the electrical wiring connections checked, drains suctioned, moving components lubricated, belt tensions adjusted, contactor and capacitors checked, coils checked and cleaned, etc. All of that serves to guarantee that you can save at least $125 on your energy costs during the Summer months. All of this serves to ensure that the system is running efficiently, and more importantly, in the case of your heat pump, safely. In addition to twice per year maintenance, you can also help ensure energy efficiency and better air quality in your home by changing your air filter once per month. It seems like common sense that your filter needs to be changed regularly, but you’d be surprised at just how many people put it off thinking it to be an unnecessary expense. A recent survey said that 97 percent of people know they should change their filter, but only 47 percent actually regularly do it. People also buy those air filters that claim they last up to three months with the idea that it will save them money. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Those thick filters tend to accumulate more dust and dirt, leading to your air conditioner having to run harder and for a longer period of time to cool your home. After a little while, a dirty built up filter will cause the system to freeze or the condensation pan to fill up and overflow, which will stop your unit and cause leaks if you have an attic system. Irregular changing of a fiberglass 1-month filter can do the same thing to unit, leading to higher energy costs and expensive service calls.

We hope these simple and practical tips will help you save some cash this Summer and that they will help you to be more comfortable and enjoy the season more.  Not only that, but we hope this post also busted a few HVAC-related energy saving myths for you. If you need maintenance, we offer maintenance contracts. All you have to do is call us, and the Team You Can Trust would be glad to serve you!

Sources:

https://www.angieslist.com/articles/dont-make-these-4-hvac-mistakes.htm

https://www.jerrykelly.com/blog/2013/august/factors-that-affect-your-homes-cooling-load/

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