With another cooling season looming, it's time to get serious about energy savings by making efficiency-minded changes around your home. These simple tips can help you reduce cooling costs and enjoy a comfortable living environment all summer long.
Tips to Reduce Cooling Costs
Seal leaky ducts. You can prevent the waste of up to 30 percent of the A/C's cool air output due to leakage by having ducts sealed with mastic and wrapped in at least R-6 insulation.
Run exhaust fans. Activities like cooking, bathing and washing dishes add heat and humidity to the indoor air, so run the bathroom or kitchen exhaust fan to vent it outdoors where it can't increase your energy bills.
Switch on the ceiling fans. Operating ceiling fans while the air conditioner is running can increase comfort and allow you to raise the thermostat setting a few degrees, curbing your energy usage.
Shade the windows. Heat gain through the window glass makes the A/C work harder and increases energy consumption. Keep it under control by installing energy-efficient shades, blinds or reflective window film.
Purchase a programmable thermostat. Choose a model that matches your normal weekly schedule and your HVAC equipment brand. Use it to program 10-degree temperature setbacks for a daily eight-hour period, and you can slash energy costs by 15 percent a year.
Stop conditioned air losses. Seal leaks by caulking window frames and replacing any missing or damaged weatherstripping around exterior doors. Plug holes and gaps around the foundation and any shell penetrations with expandable foam spray.
Prevent heat build-up. Replace incandescent lights with energy-efficient bulbs that produce much less heat. Use the microwave or outdoor grill for cooking instead of the oven, and air dry dishes and laundry so you don't create heat that adds to the A/C's workload.
Upgrade an older cooling system. Replacing an inefficient air conditioner can reduce your cooling expenses by as much as 50 percent. To boost those energy savings by up to 15 percent more, choose Energy Star-rated equipment.
To learn more ways to reduce cooling costs in your Broken Arrow home, contact the comfort experts at Air Assurance. We've been helping homeowners since 1985.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “iQoncept/Shutterstock”