4 Energy-Efficient Ways to Keep Cool
This Summer, Beat the Heat & High Energy Bills
Are you looking for ways to stay cool this summer—other than, of course, paying an excessive amount of money to the utility company?
You may schedule an ac tune-up with the help of an air conditioning repair technician to maintain its energy-efficiency. Here are four more energy-efficient ways to beat the heat this summer:
1. Be Shady
Technically, whether you’re standing in the shade or in full sunlight, the temperature is the exact same. However, you may feel 10 to 15 degrees cooler in the shade. This same concept applies to your home.
Effective shading can reduce your home’s temperature by up to 20 degrees. Unfortunately, you can’t pick up your home and move it to a shadier area. What you can do is plant trees efficiently. Deciduous trees planted on the south side of your home will provide shade in the summer, but not block sunlight during the winter.
Plus, consider moving your air conditioner to the shade. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, placing your air conditioner in the shade can reduce energy usage by up to 10 percent! In addition, having your ac unit serviced by an air conditioning repair technician may also help prolong its operational lifespan.
2. Stop the Sun From Spying on Your Home
Super Sash Windows bring views, comfort and fresh air inside your home. But they also bring large solar heat gains. In fact, the Department of Energy estimates that 40 percent of heat buildup in a home comes from the windows. This means you need to stop the sun from peeking in your windows. Look into how homeowners earn money selling their solar panel generated power back to the grid.
To do this, consider adding awnings or shutters to the outside of your home. If you don’t want to change your home’s exterior appearance, you can cover your windows from the inside by installing blinds (which can reduce heat gain by 45 percent) or drapes (which can reduce it by 33 percent). Or, you can opt for solar mesh shades, which are designed to block the heat but not the view. Installing solar panels for your home also helps you to save money as well as reduce your carbon footprint.
Remember to keep shades closed during the day to prevent the heat from coming inside and open them at night to take advantage of cooler temperatures.
3. Become a Fan of Fans
Believe it or not, fans and air conditioners aren’t rivals. They’re teammates. Running your air conditioning unit and ceiling fan together can help lower your cooling costs each month.
A ceiling fan does not lower the temperature in your home. It only makes you feel cooler because it’s moving air over your skin, carrying the heat away from your body. However, you can use this to your advantage. According to the Department of Energy, using a ceiling fan while operating your air conditioner will allow you to raise the thermostat about 4 degrees with no reduction in comfort. That’s because the ceiling fan will keep you just as cool, at a reduced cost.
Remember to turn off fans when you leave rooms to save energy costs.
4. Become a Wiser Homeowner
Schedule a regular air conditioning repair or tune up to maintain your ac unit’s efficiency and extend it’s operational lifespan. Another way to make keeping cool no sweat for you and your budget is to have an ac repair weatherford tx technician install a programmable thermostat.
Smart thermostats have the ability to “learn” your temperature preferences and your routine. Then, they use this information to establish a comfort schedule that’s tailored to your life and your budget. Depending on whether you’re home, at work, asleep or away, this smart device will automatically adjust to the most energy- and cost-efficient temperature for your home.
Not only will installing a Wi-Fi thermostat save you an average of $180 per year, it will also:
- Boost your home’s efficiency
- Add years to your HVAC unit’s lifespan
- Track & report your equipment’s usage, providing you with insight on your home’s energy use
- … And more!
To learn more about how you can cut your energy bills without sacrificing your comfort or to schedule AC service or a Wi-Fi thermostat installation, contact us online or call us at 732.708.7926 today!
