It goes without saying that running your air conditioning will have an impact on your electric bill. The more you use it, and the harder it works, the more your electric consumption will go up. That said, we have put together 10 tips for more energy efficient AC use to help bring down your monthly electric bill, and give your wallet a bit of a break even in the highest heat of the summer.
Energy Efficient AC Tips That Cost Nothing
If you’d like to get started improving your energy efficiency, here are some energy efficient AC tips from the experts at Galmiche & Sons in St. Louis that won’t cost you anything to try out.
- One – Keep out the sun: The idea here is pretty straightforward: The easier it is for the sun’s rays to penetrate into the interior of your St. Louis home, that additional heat will force your air conditioning to work harder, and that won’t be good for your utility bill. So, what can you do to keep out the sun and improve AC energy efficiency? You can start by closing your blinds or curtains, especially if it’s noon or during the hot parts of the day. This way, your heating and cooling system doesn’t have to work extra hard.
- Two – Use ceiling fans or other fans, if you have them: You’ll find that a room will feel noticeably cooler if you have a fan running in addition to your air conditioning. Given the relatively lower electric consumption of ceiling or portable fans, you can increase AC energy efficiency by combining the cooling effects of fans and AC.
- Three – Give the air conditioning a break while you’re away: Now, this doesn’t mean that you should turn the AC completely off while you’re out. That may not be good for energy efficient AC use since your home may end up heating too much in your absence, forcing the AC to work extra hard just to bring the temperature back to comfortable levels when you get home. However, what you can do is set your AC to a higher than usual temperature. Think 85 degrees instead of the usual 78 or lower. This will allow your air conditioning to work less hard while you’re away, reducing electric consumption. Then, when you get home, you can set the thermostat back to a normal 78 degrees, and the temperature will adjust fairly quickly.
- Four – Similarly, let your AC rest at night, especially while you’re sleeping: After the sun sets, your air conditioning no longer has to struggle against a major heat source, just to keep your St. Louis home cool. In fact, some people find that if they don’t adjust their AC in the evening, the interior of their home gets too cold. So, take advantage of cooler night air, and set your AC to work less hard in the evening, especially during your sleeping hours. When done right, you won’t have to sacrifice your comfort to increase AC energy efficiency.
- Five – Don’t let furniture block your AC vents: If you have furniture, drapes, or other things positioned in front of your air conditioning vents, these will prevent the cool air from flowing into your rooms. It might feel like your AC is weak or not working properly, and it will be tempting to set your AC to an even cooler temperature, so you can get comfortable – but don’t! Move obstructions away from vents for more energy efficient AC usage.
- Six – Move cool air away from the basement: Eventually, cool air will find its way into your basement, just because this air tends to flow downward. Now, often people don’t actually need their basements to be extra chilly, and instead would rather that upper floors and more high traffic spaces receive more cooling. So, you may want to strategically shut vents which lead directly into the basement, or which are located in the lower parts of your house. This will force the cooled air to make its way into the upper areas of your home, allowing for more energy efficient AC usage.
Energy Efficient AC Tips with Some Cost Involved
There are also some other energy efficient AC tips that you can try where there might be some modest cost involved. Don’t let that put you off though. These are investments, which are well worth your time. They don’t just help you save on your electric bill each month, they also help to prolong the life of your AC system.
- Seven – Check your home for leaks: Your air conditioning system is going to have to work harder than normal if the cool air inside your home finds ways to escape. There may be slight gaps around windows or doors, or cracks may have formed elsewhere. You can walk around your house during the daytime, and try to feel for any cool air that is escaping near your windows and doors. For a more thorough inspection, you can turn to St. Louis energy efficient AC professionals like Galmiche & Sons for a home energy audit.
- Eight – Consider using a portable AC unit: This is something you can try if you find that your cooling needs are more localized. For example, if you spend most of your time in one enclosed part of your home, you can set up an energy efficient portable AC unit there to keep that space cool. This will use much less electricity than a centralized system, and given your more focused cooling needs, there won’t be a sacrifice in comfort involved.
- Nine – Don’t skip regular maintenance for your AC: For your home to benefit from energy efficient AC use, your AC needs to be in good shape. However, if it is clogged with dirt or debris or if there is something else wrong with it, that could reduce its efficiency, and you will end up with unnecessarily higher electric bills. This is something that we can help you with as an experienced HVAC company, and our clients often quickly discover that good maintenance leads to a more energy efficient AC.
- Ten – Consider using a smarter thermostat: Technology continues to improve, and energy efficient AC systems and components become smarter and easier to program. This is great for consumers because things like a smart thermostat allow for more efficient, more customized, and even more remote use. This means that you can have your AC automatically make adjustments throughout the day, resulting in better and more energy efficient AC usage, without sacrificing comfort.
Learn More Energy Efficient AC Tips and Advice
If you’d like to learn more about how to achieve energy efficient AC use, please get in touch with us in the greater St. Louis area at Galmiche & Sons at 314-993-1110. Our staff would be happy to help with your heating & air conditioning needs.
