Hello, summer! As the summer months arrive, so does the heat and higher energy bills again. Keeping your home cool during the hot summer months usually means an increase in your energy bill for a few months while you keep the air conditioning running around the clock.
Cooling your home is important so you don’t develop heatstroke, which can even happen indoors if you keep your house too warm.
Decreasing energy bills without air conditioning
There are many ways you can decrease your energy bill without even touching your thermostat even in Upstate, South Carolina. You should still keep your air conditioning running, but when you follow these recommendations, it will help your air conditioner run more efficiently which will help decrease your energy bill.
- Blackout curtains help keep unwanted light out of the room, and during the hot summer months, they can help keep your house cooler when the sun is facing specific areas of your home. If there are rooms you aren’t going to be using during the day, keep the drapes closed and your home will stay cooler and your air conditioner will run much less.
- Close the doors to rooms that you aren’t using. This helps decrease the space your air conditioner has to cool, which will make it run less and more efficiently. If you have a second story in your home, keep the door to the upstairs closed so your air conditioner won’t have to work as hard when no one is upstairs.
- Ceiling fans, stationary pedestal fans, floor fans, and tower fans are excellent options for keeping individual rooms cooler. If you place a fan purposefully, it can help circulate the air blowing from the vents throughout the room. Installing a ceiling fan above each family member’s bed helps keep everyone cooler at night, which means your air conditioner won’t run as frequently because the rooms are being kept at a comfortable temperature.
- Keep the lights off and small appliances unplugged when they are not being used. By keeping these items off or unplugged, you will notice a difference in your energy bill.
Decreasing energy bills with air conditioning
If the only way to keep your home cooler during the warm summer months is by running your air conditioning all day long, you can try a couple of different things to decrease your energy bills over the summer.
- Contact Five Star Greenville to have your air conditioning unit inspected to ensure it’s running at top performance. If available on your model, have the technician switch on the energy-saving mode.
- If you own an older air conditioning unit, consider replacing it completely. The older the unit, the less efficient they become. Parts get worn down and eventually, it ends up costing you more in repairs than to replace. Many homeowners notice a significant difference in their energy bills once they replace an old unit with a newer model.
Keep in mind these helpful tips throughout the summer to save money, but also to improve your family’s comfort at home.