In the summer months, energy costs sky-rocket as energy use almost doubles due to the rising need of running your air conditioning unit 24/7, particularly in Greater Springfield, MA. Cooling costs account for half or more of your monthly bill. Did you know, every year almost $22,000,000,000 is spent on costs to cool our homes here in the U.S. alone?! There are ways that we can cut back on A.C. Usage this summer to help not only our bank accounts, but the environment as well. We reduce carbon emissions every time turn up our thermostats and save energy. Ambient Heating & Air Conditioning would like to share some helpful tips with you about saving money on cooling costs this summer.
How Often Should I Service My Air Conditioner
This is the single most important step and a simple one at that. By keeping your unit in good working order, you can ensure you aren’t paying additional unnecessary energy costs for a unit that has to work overtime to cool your home due to mechanical errors. Keeping your unit serviced each year is a lot like taking your car in for an oil change, this preventative maintenance will prolong the life of the unit and will save you a ton of money in the long run. Keep your air filters changed as often as they get dirty as well, keeping a clean filter can save you 5-15% on your bill alone!
Set Temperature on Thermostat
While it may be tempting to keep your home ice cold for the sake of comfort, making the small sacrifice of a couple degrees will save you some major dough each month. Each degree over 75 can save you 5-10% on your bill! It is recommended to keep your thermostat set to 78 degrees when your home on hot days, and 80-82 degrees when you’re not home.
Utilize Ceiling Fans
Using fans to keep the air circulating will make you feel a bit cooler. The use of fans has a very low energy cost and will keep the air from feeling stagnate. At night when it cools down a bit, it doesn’t hurt to cross ventilate by cracking a window, keeping your fans running and turning your thermostat up a bit. This will help to pull out any warm air in your home that may be lingering and let the cooler outdoor air in.
Use Curtains to Keep Heat Out & Room Cool
Direct sunlight beating down on your windows can heat up a room 10-20 degrees in a matter of minutes. Curtains block out up to 50% more heat than blinds will. The less heat you let in, the less work your unit will have to preform to cool your home.
Plant Trees to Save on Air Conditioning Costs of a Building
Having shade trees especially on the South and West sides of the home where the hottest afternoon will help to block the sun and absorb unwanted heat before it ever even reaches your home! Having natural shade like this even cools the air through transpiration (water loss from leaves).
Sealing Window Frames & Doors
You don’t want to do all this work to cool your home and save money, only to let the cool air right back out. Check all your windows and doors and make sure the caulking/sealants are still intact. Replace any faulty caulking and if there are gaps in doors consider purchasing and under door sweep to seal up any compromising gaps and keep all your cool air inside!
Cook Outside as Much as Possible to Save on Air Conditioning Bill
The use of ovens and stoves heats up our homes quickly, by utilizing outdoor cooking appliances and BBQ pits we eliminate the need for our units to stay on and work overtime to cool our home back down.
Air Conditioning Repair, Maintenance & More in Springfield, Granby, Holyoke, South Hadley, Monson, Chicopee & Agawam, Massachusetts
Ambient Heating & Air Conditioning hopes you have a cool, affordable summer. Call us today and schedule your summer tune up for your home in Springfield, MA before the heat hits!
