Expert Tips on Keeping Your Summertime Cooling Bill Down
Following these expert tips on keeping your summertime cooling bill down helps keep your home cool, comfortable, and cost-efficient. Running the A/C is a necessity to maintain comfort, particularly in the hot and humid Midwest. The key is finding balance — running the HVAC system when it’s needing, and applying some common sense tips to keep cooling costs as low as possible. For homeowners looking to maximize their home cooling savings, apply the following tips throughout the hot and humid summer, and bask in the cool comfort of home without breaking the bank.
Summer Is a Marathon, but Cooling Is a Sprint
Along with the summer heat, your summertime cooling bill may feel foreboding like it’s constantly warming up and never backing down. But there are natural lulls and breaks in the summer warming cycle, and those are the times to give the A/C a break. Opening windows and utilizing fans when the summer heat backs down to more temperate levels helps ease off the wear and tear of a constantly running HVAC system and helps save money on electricity costs.
It’s equally important to set a moderate temperature via the thermostat. Trying to run an A/C full tilt, at a consistently cooler than average temperature, will cause the system to work much harder than necessary and cause utility prices to spike.
Consider a Smart Thermostat Upgrade
While upgrading a thermostat to a higher-tech model does come with upfront costs, the overall efficiency upgrades will save money over time. Smart thermostats are able to learn the heating and cooling patterns of a home, allowing the unit to algorithmically apply adjustments to slightly raise or lower the temperature and maximize savings, without sacrificing the comfortably temperate atmosphere of the home.
Stay Shaded, Stay Cool
It’s no surprise that areas in direct sunlight tend to be hotter than areas within the shade. The same principle applies to homes, as well. While the sun will always be beating down on the exterior of a house, the simple act of ensuring blinds and shades stay closed on hotter days helps a home stay moderately cooler. This in turn takes some of the pressure off the HVAC system, allowing it to run without overworking.
Give the A/C a Break
Another seemingly intuitive solution to help keep your summertime cooling bill under control — let the A/C rest by turning it off occasionally. This idea isn’t as realistic when at home during hotter days, but if homeowners are out and about, it’s better to turn the A/C off — or even let it run slightly warmer than usual — as every little bit helps cut down on power consumption.
Circling back to the prospect of upgrading to a smart thermostat, a smart thermostat can also help homeowners program times when they can let the A/C turn off without causing a noticeable difference around the house. These small moments without A/C add up quickly to significant heating and cooling savings.
Cutting down on the power bill during the summer comes down to enacting as many realistic, common-sense tips as a homeowner can. Some will be more applicable than others, especially as the heat and humidity fluctuate and spike throughout the season. Momentary breaks of rain and lower temps are prime times to evaluate if the A/C really needs to be running for that amount of time, as well, providing opportunities for homeowners to jump on savings when they can.
If you have any questions about how your HVAC system is running, or if it’s time for an annual inspection to make sure it runs without issue throughout the cooling season, reach out to Duane Blanton Plumbing, Sewer, Heating, and Cooling. Staffed by knowledgeable technicians with over 30 years of practical heating and cooling experience, the professionals are Duane Blanton are available to tackle any HVAC queries homeowners have. Give the technicians at Duane Blanton Plumbing, Sewer, Heating, and Cooling a call today, at (815) 781-2567, or schedule online through their convenient in-browser online scheduling portal.
Duane Blanton Plumbing, Sewer, Heating, and Cooling is proud to be a Bryant Factory Authorized Dealer, offering top-quality heating and cooling options to fit the specific needs of Duane Blanton customers. The quality, comfort, and efficiency of Bryant Heating & Cooling Systems’ products naturally align with Duane Blanton’s drive to provide an exceptional customer service experience. Ask a Duane Blanton Plumbing, Sewer, Heating, and Cooling expert today about the advantages of upgrading to a new Bryant Heating & Cooling system for your home!
