5 Tips for Saving on Cooling Costs

Slowly but surely, even in Michigan, summer is coming. And with it, higher temperatures will come too. With the heat rising and so many people at home, it’s not surprising that some are worried about how this might affect their cooling costs. Luckily, there are things that you can do to decrease that cost without turning your house into a furnace. Read on to learn 5 easy tricks to lower you air conditioning bill.

Find your Biggest Fan

Fans can be a great way of lowering your cooling costs. They generally use less power than cooling down your entire home with an air conditioner and they are still great at cooling you down. Even when they’re just circulating air, that air helps evaporate sweat that causes a cooling effect. If you live in a house with 2 or more floors, try using fans on the top floor and opening windows on the lower floor. This will help circulate the air even better.

Cover Those Windows

Even though we all love to see a light room, sunlight entering your home can change the temperature inside significantly. The US Department of Energy has stated that during cool seasons, about 76% of sunlight that falls on windows is converted into heat. You can manage to reduce this heat by adding window screens or window films to your windows. Thanks to online shopping, you don’t even need to leave your home to order one!

Keep an Eye on the Thermostat

We have all thought about this one, and yet there is probably still a lot that you can do to use your thermostat more economically. Try to remind yourself daily to turn the thermostat up at night to a reasonable level when temperatures have cooled. Also, make sure that you turn it up a little bit when you leave the house and there’s no one else at home. You want to make sure that you’re not wasting your cooling whenever possible. If you have kids or multiple household members, you may also want to consider getting a lockable thermostat.

Cook Strategically

Whether we like it or not, every time we use the stove, we’re increasing heat in our homes. Doing this every day while your air conditioner is fighting to counteract it can also have an effect on your bill. That’s why cooking at strategic times, like at night, can save your household some money. If you do have to cook during the day, try to keep everything well ventilated.

Get a Better Air Conditioner

Now, this is an investment, but it may well be worth it in the long run. Older and poorly maintained air conditioners generally use up more power than newer, more economical ones, and that money comes straight out of your pockets. In addition to that, a lot of new air conditioners have settings that help conserve energy. If you’re looking for an excuse to toss out that 10-year-old air conditioner, this might be it!