When it’s hot outside, it can be hard to find ways to save money on your electric bill.
It can cost a lot to stay cool during the summer months. Wonder how to save money on your electric bill when running your air conditioner? Fortunately, there are several tips and tricks you can use to stay cool without breaking the bank.
Use Fans
Running a ceiling or standalone fan can make it feel like it’s several degrees cooler than it really is. Instead of running your air conditioner harder by setting it to a lower temperature, run some fans in the house. Not only will the moving air make you feel cooler, but it can also help the air conditioner work more efficiently by circulating the air more effectively throughout the house.
Reduce the Amount of Sunlight Inside
Sunlight provides excellent lighting inside, but during the summer it can increase the indoor temperature. Block the sunlight coming through the windows during the peak hours, typically from late morning to mid-afternoon. Using blinds, curtains, window films or other ways of stopping sunlight from coming through the window can really help keep your home cool.
Watch How You Cook
There’s a reason baking is so popular during the winter. It’s not just because everyone loves cookies and treats for the holidays! As any cook can confirm, using an oven and stove can significantly increase the temperature of the kitchen and rest of the home. So whenever possible, try to use the oven or stove on a cooler day. You can open the windows and circulate the hot kitchen air outside your home instead of using your air conditioner to cool that warm air created in the kitchen.
Have your Air Conditioner Checked
An air conditioner that isn’t running in the best shape possible won’t perform at its best or cool your home as efficiently as it should. So if it’s been a while since your air conditioner had a maintenance visit or checkup, schedule one with your local HVAC professional. Maintenance visits will make sure there’s enough refrigerant in your air conditioner, that your air filter isn’t clogged and that all the electrical and mechanical components are working properly. For example, if you’re running low on refrigerant, your air conditioner will run, but the air it conditions won’t be as cool as it could be. This means running your air conditioner much longer than necessary, which means higher energy bills.
Use a Programmable Thermostat
One way to save money on your air conditioner use is to adjust your thermostat to a higher setting. This is ideal when no one is home to notice the warmer indoor air temperature. But when someone returns home, the house can be uncomfortably warm. Wouldn’t it be nice if the thermostat automatically adjusted itself so it could cool the house down right before someone got home? That’s what programmable thermostats can do.
Avoid Using Incandescent Light Bulbs
Incandescent light bulbs are pretty hard to find in stores these days, but that doesn’t mean no one uses them. Companies are phasing out incandescent lights because they’re very energy inefficient. Much of the energy they use doesn’t go into producing light, but heat. If you have incandescent light bulbs in your home, you have a bunch of mini heaters warming up the indoor air, only to have your air conditioner waste energy to cool that air back down.
Instead of using incandescent light bulbs, replace them with CCFL bulbs. These bulbs are much more energy efficient and produce far less heat. Better yet, install LED light bulbs, which are even more energy efficient and produce almost no heat. You’ll save on cooling in addition to lighting costs, a double win for your wallet.
If you’re working on learning how to save money on your electric bill, an auto pawn could help. Call your nearest Title Tree location for help now.