Ways to save money on your air conditioning bills

Fellow blogger, Birney Summers, put up a post recently on no cost ways to save money on your air conditioning bills. As the weather gets warmer this is the time to recap ways to use your cooling equipment more efficiently and stop wasting hard earned dollars.

Read Birney's full post here ...

But the salient points are these:

Thermostat Use
-Set your thermostat at a higher temperature - try 78 F.
-Don't try setting it cooler to cool the house faster. Like an elevator, it will get there when it gets there no matter how many times you press the button.
-With heat pumps avoid changing the temp by more than 3 degrees.

Keeping the Heat Out
-Turn off unnecessary lights and use energy-efficient lights.
-Draw draperies, blinds, and shades indoors to keep out sunlight.

Natural Ventilation
-When possible, use fans to keep cool instead of an air conditioner.  Fans consume only a small fraction of the energy of an air conditioner. 
-Set the direction of ceiling fans so that they create a downdraft.
-If you plan to leave for a few minutes or more, turn the ceiling fans off.

“Do It Yourself” Maintenance
-Clean or replace filters regularly on air conditioners; keep outside units free from leaves or debris that may clog vents.
-Clean the outside condenser coils of your heat pump or central air conditioner. It is OK to hose off the outdoor part of your air conditioner or heat pump, even while it is running.

Operating Your Air Conditioner
-Set the fan speed of your air conditioner on high, except in very humid weather.  When it's humid, set the speed on low.
-Turn off your air conditioner when you leave home for an hour or longer. Leave your heat pump running unless you will be gone for more than a day.

I'd add to the last points that here in the South you ought not turn your air conditioner completely off when you're away. That could allow moisture to build up indoors and give mold a foot hold. Since the health hazards of mold outweigh the possible savings, I'd personally set my thermostat at around 82 when out of the house for a few days.

Comments

[Raleigh Heating Air Conditioning]

Excellent list of ways to help save money. I have recently saved a bunch of money by using a local heating and air contractor to redo my climate control system.