The cost of summertime cooling can severely deplete your bank account. From early in the month of May through early in the month of October, many people will turn their central or window unit air conditioners on full blast for an entire day trying to beat the unbearable heat of the summer. Studies have shown that on average, operating an air conditioner all day can add upwards of $100 to the monthly amount of your energy bill. An increasing number of people are looking for any way possible to help to offset some of the expense of summertime cooling costs.
One of the first things you can do to help offset some of the high summer cooling costs is to schedule central air maintenance each year. Typical annual servicing of air conditioning units includes a check on the levels of Freon, the compressor, ductwork, and the thermostat of the unit. Many heating and air conditioning installers offer a discount on the annual service checks in the spring of each year in anticipation of the summer heat.
After you have had your air conditioner serviced, remember to keep your thermostat set to 78 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer. This will help to maintain a cool house, without causing your unit to be operating at all times.
Homeowners should also check to be sure that their home is properly insulated. Many people are unaware that a poorly insulated home absorbs rather than blocks heat from penetrating the walls of the home, causing the air conditioning unit to work twice as hard to keep the house cool.
You should also consider putting tinting on all of the windows in your home. Window tinting is highly effective in blocking the rays of the sun from reflecting on the glass of the windows and reflecting into the rooms of your house. If you cannot buy tinting for your windows, try using dark-colored curtains or window blinds.
In order to help keep your house cool and offset some of the costs of summer heating, do not use stand fans or box fans. These types of fans actually do very little to help circulate the air through the house. These fans cause the air conditioning unit to work twice as hard to be able to cool the house.
To help offset some of the costs of summer cooling is to paint your house’s exterior and interior in a light color, which will help to deflect the heat from drawing into the house through windows.
