Five ways to save money on air conditioning during the summer

Everyone from Wendell, North Carolina, knows how absurdly hot the summers can get. Of course, if you have a dependable HVAC system, you might feel safe from the discomfort if you don’t work outside during the warmest hours of the day. 

But sweat isn’t the only discomfort that heat can cause. Those 99-degree days might feel great inside… until you get to the end of the month and find your electric bill has doubled over the cooler fall and summer months when your HVAC system hardly has to run.

Here are five ways to save money on your cooling costs during the sweltering Wake County summers!

Set your thermostat higher

This cost-saving technique is obvious, but if your temperature is set to 75 degrees during the hottest part of the day, your air conditioner will not have to work nearly as hard as it would if you had it set to 70. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends you set the temperature to 78 degrees. We aren’t going to ask you to do that because we’re not crazy bureaucrats. But if you can tolerate a couple degrees warmer, especially during the day, it can go a long way to saving you money.

Run fans

Fans, of course, do not lower the temperature of your home. But they can make slightly warmer temperatures more bearable, meaning they pair great with the energy-saving recommendation above. Could you run a ceiling fan (counter-clockwise during the summer) or a nice, quiet tower fan and turn your thermostat up three degrees? You’d be surprised to see how many percent even a few degrees can reduce your utility bill.

Program your thermostat to run warmer when you’re not home

Do you have a predictable schedule? Are you and your family out of the house from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day? It could be an awesome opportunity to set the temperature warmer when you’re not home (often during the hottest hours of the day). If turning the temperature up five degrees when you’re not even around could save you 5% on your utilities, why wouldn’t you do it? It’s possible you’re leaving money on the table! And with smart thermostats, your house could be back down to a comfortable temperature before you even pull back in the driveway. 

Drop a tree near the side of the house that gets afternoon sun

The most effective way to keep the sun’s radiant heat from invading your cool home is to block it before it even gets in! Blinds are great, and they can definitely help keep your house cool. But by the time the light hits your blinds, heat is already in your house. Plants and trees usually love sunnier spots, and they can block some of the energy before it hits your windows!

Keep up with regular maintenance

This includes maintaining your air conditioner yourself with simple tasks like changing your air filter regularly. It also involves calling out a pro to examine and maintain your unit regularly. If you let dirt and debris pile up in your condenser, or if your electrical connections aren’t quite right, your air conditioner will eat more electricity than it needs to. Call us today to learn more about how All Hours’ maintenance plans can save you money and stress!