Air Conditioning Tips to Reduce Your Utility Bill
Air Conditioning Tips to Keep Your Utility Bill Manageable
There are air conditioning tips you can practice to reduce your household utility bills. Year-round the Florida climate is tropical, meaning that even in winter, homes and businesses run their air conditioning. Summer in the Tampa area brings hot weather, and air conditioning equipment often runs several days without being turned off. Even nights are too warm to turn the AC off and open windows up.
Following are some tips to help keep your electricity bills low during the summer.
Tip 1 – Pay Attention to Your Thermostat
If you don’t have a programmable thermostat see about getting one With a programmable thermostat you can set it for when you are home, when the premises are empty, night settings and even weekends. An alternative to a programmable thermostat is a thermostat that can be controlled from a smartphone. These let you turn the AC temperature up while you are gone, and let you begin cooling before you come home. These smart thermostats run between $150 and $350. Experts say that it is common for the payback period to be around 2 years – there after you are saving money each year. These type thermostats also work for the heating
If you choose not to replace your thermostat, set it at 78º F, if you won’t be home for 4 hours or more turn it up to 85º F.
Tip 2 – Fans are Your Friends
Tip 3 – Keep Supply Vents and Interior Doors Open
AC system designers calculate the specifications for your air conditioning using assumptions that include vents and doors inside the home are kept open. Closing them offers no savings and may cost more by making the system work harder, particularly if you close any intake vents.
Tip 4 – Get an AC Tune Up
Schedule annual or bi-annual tuneups with a qualified ac technician. Performing regular preventative maintenance and service suggested for your unit will ensure your air conditioner runs at optimal efficiently. Regular maintenance will also help your ac system last longer and require fewer repairs. Call AC Warehouse to schedule your ac tuneup.
Follow these tips and keep your electric utility bill manageable during Florida’s sweltering summer months.