Now is the time to welcome the spring season with open arms. Plants are starting to show signs of new life, flowers are in bloom, and everything is awash with color. People are also doing away with bulky layers of clothing in favor of lightweight, comfortable garments. These changes are enjoyable following the cold, bleak months of winter.
As spring heralds summer in, however, it also means that you’re likely becoming increasingly dependent upon your home air conditioning system. It’s important to feel comfortable indoors, but few people want to deal with the high energy bills that this often entails.
Spring And Summer Energy-Saving Tips To Reduce Your Cooling Costs
Table of Contents
- 1 Spring And Summer Energy-Saving Tips To Reduce Your Cooling Costs
- 1.1 1. Seal Cracks In Building Materials To Avoid Air Leaks
- 1.2 2. Experience Greater Efficiency By Having Your A/C System Tuned Up
- 1.3 3. Choose A Moderate Thermostat Setting
- 1.4 4. Go Natural Whenever You Possibly Can
- 1.5 5. Clean Your Refrigerator For Efficient Operation
- 1.6 6. Have Energy-Efficient Replacements Installed
- 1.7 7. Try Cooking Outdoors
- 1.8 Conclusion
Following are a few tips on saving energy that you can use to benefit both your budget and the natural environment:
1. Seal Cracks In Building Materials To Avoid Air Leaks
If your home has cracks around its perimeter, the hot air may be sneaking in to heat the building interior. Consequently, the air conditioner is having to work overtime to maintain a comfortable environment inside the home. As a result, this equipment is consuming far more energy than average, and you’re going to end up with higher energy bills.
Seal up any leaks that you identify with caulk. You can generally find leaks at wiring holes, around the windows, at recessed lights, and near plumbing vents among other areas.
2. Experience Greater Efficiency By Having Your A/C System Tuned Up
The performance of any air conditioner will degrade over time as dirt, dust, and normal wear and tear start taking their toll on the system. Even though your cooling system is still capable of lowering temperatures indoors, it will have a much harder time doing its job and will wind up using a lot more energy along the way.
Routine maintenance can slow the aging process down. Set up a professional air conditioner tune-up this spring to get your air conditioning system ready for the hot, challenging months of summer.
3. Choose A Moderate Thermostat Setting
Pay careful attention to your thermostat setting. Many homeowners overestimate their cooling needs and wind up taking an aggressive approach when setting their thermostats as a result. As stated before, this only makes air conditioners work far harder than they need to. Most experts agree that 78 degrees F should be sufficient for keeping building residents cool while additionally minimizing energy costs. You also have the option of setting your thermostat higher to garner additional savings.
4. Go Natural Whenever You Possibly Can
The first few weeks of spring are often reasonably cool, so you might not need to use your AC equipment at all during this time. In some areas, the temperature only rises after midday. Thus, it may be possible to turn the air conditioner off from dusk until the early hours of dawn. Homeowners can rely on natural ventilation during the nighttime hours by opening up their windows. Just be sure to close your windows tightly before your turn on your AC unit.
5. Clean Your Refrigerator For Efficient Operation
Apart from your air conditioner, your refrigerator is the most power-hungry appliance in your home. Any plans to limit energy consumption should include strategies for optimizing this unit. You can start by thoroughly cleaning your fridge. Get rid of any dust on or around the coils, throw out excess or spoiled food, wipe down the door seal, and be sure to melt or defrost the frozen walls. Each of these steps will help reduce the amount of energy that the appliance uses while allowing for better ventilation and a tighter seal when the fridge door is closed.
6. Have Energy-Efficient Replacements Installed
With old and outdated appliances, it may be a good idea to start looking for replacements. Units that have had multiple issues require multiple repairs, and hog energy should be retired so that you can reduce your long-term expenses. A new model will provide better reliability through a more efficient design. The upfront costs of upgrading an old appliance can be high, but the long-term costs of ownership will be significantly lower. This aspect goes for air conditioners as well.
7. Try Cooking Outdoors
With cooking, you’re often heating a mix of different ingredients. Sadly, the extra heat produced by a cooking project will not be solely confined to your kitchen. This warm air can move about the house, causing the air conditioner to work overtime. Although it’s virtually impossible to avoid cooking in your kitchen entirely, using the microwave and even cooking some meals outdoors will help limit the strain on your air conditioner.
Conclusion
The NATE-certified and highly professional technicians at Skylands Energy Service are skilled, friendly, and able to provide a diverse range of HVAC services and solutions.
When you choose Skylands Energy Service as your professional HVAC provider, you can look forward to solutions that exceed your expectations. We provide superior-quality HVAC installations, tune-ups, repairs, and much, much more. Each one of our NATE-certified contractors has ample training and experience for ensuring that your home cooling equipment works efficiently, optimally, and in a way to improves overall indoor air quality. Moreover, we also provide the most competitive prices on HVAC services within the local area.
Contact us now at (908) 707-1776 to find out more!