It’s natural to be concerned about rising utility bills when summer arrives. After all, you and your family will likely be running your air conditioner for many hours each day, and the extra usage can come as a surprise when you are writing checks to the energy company.
Many homeowners want to know what steps they can take to curb usage while still keeping their family comfortable and safe, particularly when it’s scorching outside. Read on for tips on saving energy during the summer months.
Consider Setting the AC’s Thermostat Higher at Night
It’s much more comfortable when your bedroom is nice and cool at night when summer rolls around, but you can make a few adjustments that will wind up cutting expenses. One easy one that you can accomplish today is to adjust the thermostat that controls the AC. Setting it to a higher temperature at night may not bother you when you are sleeping, after all.
Another thing worth exploring is swapping out your basic thermostat for a smart thermostat that is programmable. This lets you activate the AC at a different schedule on the weekends, when everyone is home more often, compared to when the family is at work and school most of the day.
Programming the thermostat means you will use less energy, not needing to keep the home so cool when no one is inside.
Close Vents in Rooms that Aren’t Currently Occupied
Chances are you have a guest bedroom that no one has been using for some time now. If you’re not turning it into a home office and people don’t spend much time in this room, then there is no need to keep it as cool as the rest of the house.
You can avoid wasting expensive refrigerated air by going into rooms that are not being used and closing the vents. More airflow will therefore be available to other rooms in the house where you and your family spend most of your time.
Have Professional Maintenance Done
In addition to setting the thermostat to a higher temperature while sleeping and closing vents to unneeded rooms, you can save even more energy by arranging for a professional to come and do regular maintenance.
The act of removing dust, dirt and debris from your AC coils makes them work much more efficiently. Not only is there less wear and tear on the system (because it will no longer need to work so hard to produce the same level of cooling in your home), you will using much less energy.
A technician will also spot small problems with your equipment that are easier to repair now than if they were to grow out of hand down the line. So, there are multiple benefits to setting up regular maintenance appointments with HVAC experts.
Just because summer is almost here, it doesn’t mean that you have to waste energy and money in order to keep your home cool and inviting. Homeowners in the greater Jacksonville, FL area and beyond have come to see the many benefits of hiring HVAC professionals to come out each year to clean, inspect and maintain their equipment.
While there are some tasks that you can take care of yourself to save energy, you also need to have a technician perform proper maintenance. To learn more about our comprehensive maintenance program or to set up an appointment for service, please reach out to the team at David Gray Heating & Air at your convenience.