You may think that the only way to stay cool over the summer is to turn up the air conditioning.
And that certainly is one way to keep cool, although a comparatively expensive one. Your air conditioning unit uses a lot of energy, which is power that you have to pay for. The energy needed to heat and cool the house accounts for 70% the energy costs of the average household! It’s also not good for the environment.
To save money, you may want to think about working the air conditioning a bit less and relying on other ways to keep cool a bit more.
To start with, try adjusting your thermostat. This can save you 10 percent a year on your heating and cooling bill. What you need to do is reset the thermostat 7 to 10 degrees higher than where you usually set it. As a guide, the U.S. Department of Energy recommends putting it at 78 degrees during the summer.
But the important takeaway is this – during the summer, set it as high as you can, but not so high that you feel uncomfortable. And when you leave the house for any length of time, turn the thermostat up to save energy.
Also, many people set the thermostat lower than normal thinking that this will cause the air conditioning to cool the house faster. But this is not true. It really won’t make any difference.
Also, make sure your air conditioning unit is working as efficiently as possible. That means getting a checkup for maintenance and repair. Check the air filter. Make sure there is no cold air escaping through cracks around doors and windows. And make sure nothing is obstructing your vents where the air comes out.
Other Ways to Keep Cool
If you turn up the thermostat, you may think that you will just have to deal with the heat. But that’s not true either. There are several things you can do to cool off that don’t involve air conditioning.
- Close the blinds and shutters to keep the sun out. Plant trees and shrubs around windows to block the sun and use awnings to create shade around your house.
- Avoid using the oven and try using the outdoor grill more.
- Drink more. Yes, it actually works. It helps to keep your body temperature lower.
If you haven’t done so already, it’s time to schedule a checkup for you air conditioning unit. Call
Rescue Air and Plumbing at (972) 201-3253 for more information.