Here is a list of things you can do right now, without
spending any money, to cut your air conditioning bill.
Save With the
Thermostat You Already Have
- Set the thermostat for your central air conditioning
system at the highest comfortable setting (78-80 degrees F is
recommended). If you normally set it at 72 degrees F, raising it to
78 degrees F should save between 12 and 47 percent in cooling costs,
depending on the climate where you live. Be reasonable, if you are willing
to pay for comfort, set it where you are comfortable. Keep it up at 76
during the day and lower at night if that is what it takes to keep you
healthy and rested. If you want to save every penny, sell the air
conditioner. Pick a setting that you can live with and leave it alone.
- Don't set your thermostat at a colder setting than
normal when you turn on your air conditioner. It will NOT cool
faster. It WILL cool to a lower temperature than you need and use
more energy. Dialing it down will waste your money. The machine will
remove heat just as fast as it can and no faster.
- If you have a heat pump, pick a temperature you can
live with and do not change it. Heat pumps are very efficient, but they
respond to changes very slowly. Leave the thermostat alone once you settle
on a temperature you can enjoy. Do not dial it down for the night.
- Do not position heat-producing appliances, such as
televisions or lamps, near the thermostat that controls your air
conditioner. The heat they produce "fools" the thermostat
and causes the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
Save by Keeping the Heat Out
- Turn off unnecessary lights and use energy-efficient lights,
especially when you have the air conditioner running. Lights generate a
significant amount of heat. At least 90% of the electricity that you
bringing into the house ends up as heat that the air conditioner must
remove to maintain the temperature where you want it. Read more about it in this old article SAVE ON AIR CONDITIONING BY REPLACING OLD LIGHT BULBS
- In the cooling season, draw draperies, blinds, and shades indoors to keep out direct sunlight. For more on this read FIGHT SOLAR HEATING TO CUT YOUR AIR CONDITIONING BILL
- Close doors and vents of unused rooms to avoid cooling
these areas.
- Use your storm windows to keep the heat out in hot weather.
- Avoid using electric appliances in hot weather. Cook
outdoors if you can. Call me to sample the food from your barbecue. If you
must cook indoors, use a microwave oven
.
Use Fans or Natural Ventilation When You
Can
- Under appropriate weather conditions in the cooling
season, use window fans mounted in windows to exhaust hot air that
accumulates indoors during the day and, reversed at night, to pull in
cooler outdoor air. Blowing the hot air out of an upstairs window will
help cool the whole house. Check the wind direction and have your fans
move air in the same direction.
- When possible, use fans to keep cool instead of an air
conditioner. Fans consume only a small fraction of the energy of an
air conditioner. For more on saving with fans read this SAVE YOUR MONEY WITH FANS AND AIR CONDITIONING
- If your ceiling
fans are reversible, be sure to reverse the direction at the start of the
cooling season so that the blades turn to create a downdraft. Read this so you will know how to run your ceiling fan to save your money WHICH WAY SHOULD MY CEILING FAN RUN?
- To operate your air conditioner unit more efficiently,
turn on your ceiling fans. These fans create air movement across the
skin, lowering skin temperature through evaporation. The homeowner
can raise the A/C thermostat setting up 4 degrees F without any decrease
in comfort. Each degree you raise the thermostat up will save about
7-8 percent on your electric bill. The hotter the weather gets the
faster the fans should run.
- If you plan to leave for a few minutes or more, turn
the ceiling fans off. Letting a fan run wastes energy and does
nothing to cool the room. In fact, the heat from the fan motor actually
warms the room a little. The fan only helps when there is someone in
the room to enjoy it.
Save with “Do It Yourself” Maintenance
- Clean or replace filters regularly on air conditioners;
keep outside units free from leaves or debris that may clog vents.
- Clean the outside condenser coils of your heat pump or
central air conditioner. It is OK to hose off the outdoor part of your air
conditioner or heat pump, even while it is running.
Save with the Way You Operate Your Air
Conditioner
- Set the fan speed of your air conditioner on high,
except in very humid weather. When it's humid, set the speed on low;
you will get slower cooling but more moisture will be removed from the
air. Dryer air will make you feel cooler.
- Turn off your air conditioner when you leave home for
an hour or longer. Read this to find out why SAVE MONEY; SHUT OFF THE AIR CONDITIONER WHEN YOU ARE GONE. Leave your heat pump running unless you will be gone
for more than a day.
by Birney Summers – 2009 All Rights Reserved
Click this link for a SPECIAL REPORT: HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON AIR CONDITIONING
