When the temperature climbs, the urge to lower your AC does, too. But there’s a problem: You don’t want your electricity bill to go up with it. When you’re trying to beat the heat, remember these tips and tricks to stay cool and keep your electricity bill down at the same time.
First: Curtains. Yes, curtains. A nice set of curtains can be pulled shut on a hot or sunny day to block the heat from coming in through the windows and unnecessarily heating up your house. It puts less of a strain on your air conditioner, which will have to do less work to keep your house at the desired temperature and ultimately keeps your electricity bill low. Curtains also have the added benefit of sprucing up a room and preserving furniture or carpeting that might fade, so they’re a win-win.
Another tip for keeping your place cooler is to make use of the ceiling fans. Most apartments and houses have ceiling fans in almost every room, and the electricity they use is less than that of the air conditioner. Pop your fan on high, and you won’t even notice the difference in a few degrees on your AC until your bill comes in lower than it was last month.
Additionally, you can make energy-conscious renovation choices when updating your house. Wood, tile and concrete floors will stay cool even when the heat goes up, so they can save your air conditioner some of its hard work. You can also consider upgrading your windows to energy-efficient windows which will keep the heat where it belongs—outside.
Lastly, take care of your air conditioner! Your AC unit chugs away most of the day to keep your house at the ideal temperature and, just like any other machine, it works more efficiently when given routine preventative maintenance. A thorough AC tune-up should involve cleaning the condenser coils, checking the coolant level, calibrating the thermostat, an inspection of the ductwork, an inspection of all electrical connections and an evaluation of the blower motor and belt. An AC tune-up will ensure your air conditioner is giving a top-notch performance year-round.
