One of the biggest worries people have when they buy an air conditioner is how much their monthly energy bill will be affected. Although modern ACs consume far less energy than their older counterparts, they can still take a massive chunk of your electricity budget. To help you save a bit extra, here are some strategies for lowering your AC bills.
Ventilate Your Room
You should ventilate your room before turning on the AC to release the trapped air. Opening your doors and windows while the ceiling fan is on at a moderate level will bring down your room temperature, which will help the AC to cool faster while saving energy as it will require less runtime.
Limit Your Usage
Continuous and regular use of an air conditioner will put a massive load on the entire unit and its components. When the room has cooled enough, or you’re not in the room, you should turn off your air conditioner. This will give your unit a break which will help it run effectively the next time you turn it on.
You should also ensure you turn off the AC from the power source, not just the remote control. Turning off the AC from just the remote control leaves the compressor idle so that it can start instantly when the AC is turned on again. This idle load results in a waste of electricity, and in turn, it increases your monthly energy bill.
Most modern ACs also have a feature that allows users to set timers as per their requirements. This feature helps you efficiently limit your usage as you can schedule a specific time to turn off your AC automatically.
Ensure That The Cool Air Does Not Escape The Room
It is crucial for your home to be completely closed when the AC is running. You should ensure that all windows and doors are well shut and any tiny opening through which air can escape is also sealed. This will help cool the room quickly. If there was a way for the cold air to escape, the AC would have to take a bit longer to cool the room, resulting in more electricity consumption.
Get Your AC Serviced
A faulty air conditioning system could have several problems driving up your AC bills. For example, clogged coils will limit the efficiency of the machine, low refrigerant can result in a frozen coil, and airflow could be restricted due to dirty filters. All these can increase your AC bills as it would take longer than average for the AC to cool your home, resulting in more electricity consumption. This can be avoided, however, by simply regularly servicing your AC. Keeping your AC serviced will increase efficiency, resulting in less energy consumption.
Open The Windows at Night
After sunset, the air is usually cool, so it might be a good idea to shut the AC off and open the windows. The cool air entering your home will displace the warmer air by pushing it upward.
Additionally, you could install attic fans in an attic or a similar location and set them to suck the air out of the house, projecting it up and out of the home. This draws in the cool fresh air, effectively cooling your home at night.
Correct Installation
This is one of the simplest ways to reduce your AC bills. A proper installation will help your AC unit to work seamlessly. However, when done incorrectly, it could lead to several problems. This will make your AC unit work harder, reducing its efficiency and durability while increasing your monthly AC bill.
Also, ensure that your AC outdoor unit is not installed in a location where it is exposed to direct sunlight for a very long period. In addition, the room where the AC is installed should also have fewer windows and doors through which sunlight can penetrate. A higher amount of sunlight penetrating the house can increase the performance load on your air conditioner and, as a consequence, reduce its operational efficiency.
Always employ the services of a professional for your installation. In worst cases, incorrect installation could also rob you of your warranty.
Install a Smart Thermostat
A smart thermostat is one of the most essential technological assets in a modern home. This device has some advantages that can help you reduce your monthly AC bill. They include
- Remote access.
- Smart learning and automatic temperature adjustment.
- Reduced energy consumption.
Remote access grants you the ability to adjust your home’s temperature from anywhere. You can check your home’s temperature from the comfort of your phone wherever you are and adjust it accordingly. This eliminates situations whereby you return from work only to find that your AC has been running at full blast all day.
Smart learning works to keep you comfortable. This device can learn when you’re at home, at work, or asleep and then automatically adjusts the temperature according to your preferences.
By using the programmable settings that this device comes with to your advantage, you can reduce your monthly energy consumption and save some extra money.
During Summer, Avoid Cooking Inside
When it can be helped, avoid cooking inside. Simply baking in the oven can warm the entire home, and heat from a boiling pot can make matters worse. In these situations, the thermostat will think it is hotter than it actually is, causing the air conditioner to run more often than it’s supposed to.
During the summer, you can use outdoor cooking opportunities to save yourself some money. Cooking on the grill or using an outdoor oven can go a long way in keeping your home cooler.
Raise The Temperature
Raising the temperature by one or two degrees is one of the easiest ways to save money on your AC bill. When the thermostat’s setting is higher, the air conditioner doesn’t have to work as hard to keep the air inside the home close to that setting, resulting in less energy usage. However, if you set your thermostat to a low temperature, you would be putting more load than is necessary on your air conditioner.
Close The Curtains
During the hottest hours of the day, it’s essential that the curtains are closed. This is because the sun’s heat will cause the home to heat up, and these higher temperatures will force the AC to work extra hard to keep cool, driving up the energy bill. Drawing the curtains will help.
Move The Thermostat
By placing a thermostat in front of a south-facing window, for instance, you put yourself at risk of confusing it into thinking that the home is hotter than it really is when the sun pours through the glass directly onto it. This will result in the AC running too often, making the home unnecessarily cold and driving up the AC bill. Look for better locations to install the thermostat to avoid this. Moving a thermostat can be a lot of trouble, but the results will be well worth it.
Conclusion
Getting a high AC bill by the end of the month can make anyone feel a little hot under the collar. However, by following the steps provided in this article, you can rest easy as you will optimize your AC usage in a favorable and affordable way. And if you need proper care and maintenance for your AC Unit, turn to the professionals at Air Dreamy.
Air Dreamy has been providing air conditioning services for over 30 years in the New Port Richey area. Our services include air conditioning repairs, maintenance, installation, and replacement. We have the skills and technical know-how to ensure that your AC unit is always in the best condition. Our response time is quick as we understand that heating/cooling problems can happen at any time, and our services come with a warranty and upfront pricing with no hidden or extra charges.
