As the temperature outside continues to climb over the next several months, we’ll all be using our air conditioners a lot more. But are we really beating the heat? After all, having a well-maintained AC unit to keep our Argyle, TX, homes cool goes hand-in-hand with outrageous AC bills between May and August. Some of us could spend anywhere from $400 to $600 during the height of the summer if we aren’t careful. Thankfully, there are plenty of energy-saving tips you can start implementing right now.
Your friends at A&A Air want to remind you that scheduling an AC tune-up can help your system handle the demands of another hot summer. From there, it’s time to focus on keeping your AC bills within reason with these helpful tips.
Energy Savings Tips That Work
According to the American Geophysical Union, we’ll experience an 8-13% increase in energy demand from air conditioning usage in the next decade. But these tips can help keep that increase from crushing your budget.
1. Manage your thermostat — As the temperature rises, your AC unit has to constantly kick on to keep your home cool. While there’s not much you can do about that, the U.S. Department of Energy recommends to stay comfortable and save money this summer, set your thermostat to 78 degrees when you are home. When you’re not at home, increase it by at least seven degrees. A programmable thermostat can be a tremendous help in this area.
2. Use your ceiling fans — Fans will not lower the temperature in your home. Many people think they do, but they don’t. With that said, they do keep air circulating in your home and push cooler air down in each room. This keeps a cool breeze in each area of your home and takes the load off your AC unit.
3. Find and seal any air leaks — Even the tiniest gaps around windows, doors, and other openings allows precious cool air to escape and hot air to enter, thus negatively impacting your AC bills over the long term. You’ll want to seal these areas with caulk or weather stripping before we reach the peak of the summer months to reduce your energy usage.
4. Unplug electronics — Another crucial energy-saving tip this summer that is almost guaranteed to reduce your AC bills is to unplug unused electronics such as televisions, computers, chargers, gaming systems, etc. These systems draw power even when not in use, contributing to your energy costs and overall AC bills.
5. Reduce or rethink washing machine/dryer usage — Consider running your dryer at night versus in the middle of the day. Energy companies charge more during what they consider “peak hours.” You’ll be surprised how much this impacts your energy consumption since your dryer naturally produces a lot of heat inside your house. Additionally, consider using cold water whenever possible with the washing machine.
6. Take advantage of blinds and shades — Closing the blinds, shades, and curtains during a hot, sunny day keeps the sun from gradually heating up your home. This is particularly important in rooms that aren’t being used that often.
7. Use energy-saving bulbs — While energy-saving lightbulbs won’t create a drastic difference in your AC bills in the short term, they will over the long term. Plus, it’s great for the environment. You can do this by replacing inefficient bulbs with compact fluorescent or LED bulbs … many of which are brighter than your standard bulb and last longer.
8. Create shade around your home — Planting leafy trees strategically around the outside creates natural shade, blocks heat from direct sunlight, and keeps your home cooler.
9. Preventative maintenance — The secret to ensuring your home’s HVAC system runs efficiently and helps keep your AC bills from going through the roof comes down to one major to-do item: preventative maintenance. Sure, everything may be working great right now, but more often than not, the families who stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter are the ones who have their systems professionally inspected, serviced, and cleaned before those peak times of the year become unruly.
The best time to schedule preventative maintenance for your HVAC system is right before the hottest months of the year (spring). We can pinpoint and correct developing problems at the earliest, least expensive time before equipment fails. Over the life of your equipment, you will experience lower total operating and maintenance costs with fewer disruptions.
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Call A&A Air in Lantana, TX, Today.
Watching your AC bills go through the roof during the summer months can be frustrating. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to impact your energy savings by taking advantage of the tips above and scheduling preventative maintenance for your AC unit. At A&A Air, we take your family’s comfort seriously. We know our job inside and out and respond promptly.
All you need to do is give us a call today!
We proudly serve Argyle, TX, and surrounding areas. You can email us at customercare@AAair.net or call 972-951-1320.