Frustrated with having to choose between staying comfortably cool and being left with an energy bill that is through the roof? Relax, there are a number of ways that you can save on your cooling costs right now, without a lot of extra work or expense.
Eliminate Heat Sources
There are a number of appliances and devices that can act as heat sources in your home. These items can not only add heat to your rooms but can also give false reading to your air conditioning thermostats, making the air conditioning run more than it needs to run.
Some of the top contenders for heat sources in your home that can affect air conditioning include lamps, candles, the oven, the dishwasher, the dryer, and even set top boxes. Did you know that switching out your light bulbs to CFLs instead of incandescent bulbs can cut down on the amount of heat that is generated by your lights?
Use other appliances, such as the dryer or dishwasher at night when it tends to be cooler.
If you have an outdoor air condenser unit, keeping it cooler means that it won’t have to work so hard. Create natural shade by picking up some new plants that will shield and create a cool haven outside for your unit. They will also hide the unit as well.
Run to the home improvement or hardware store and grab an easy to instal programmable thermostat. You can then program it to increase the temperature in your home when you are not there and lower it right before you get home. You’ll save a lot when you don’t cool an empty house.
Close those curtains and blind during the day. They will keep the sun out and the air inside your home a lot cooler. If you don’t have enough natural light to see, keep the curtains open on the side of your home that doesn’t face the sun.