With climate change causing summer temperatures (and energy bills) to soar across the U.S., today’s homeowners are looking for some relief. We’ve got a list of easy ways you can trim your cooling costs when it’s hot outside and when it’s time to consider a bigger change.
1. Cover Your Windows
Did you know? According to the Department of Energy, approximately 76% of sunlight that reaches your window panes becomes heat. In the summer, this makes your air conditioner work much harder to keep your space cool. One simple solution is to close your blinds or install blackout curtains to block the sun’s rays from getting in. In a pinch, you can always tack up a blanket during a heat wave.
2. Clean or Replace Your AC Filters
Your air conditioner needs to be able to draw air into the system to remove heat and blow cool air back out. When your filters are dirty or clogged with debris, air has a much harder time passing through, which ultimately results in your system using more energy than it should.
Not only does this show up on your electric bill, it also puts extra wear and tear on your system and increases the chances that you will need a replacement sooner rather than later.
3. Dry Clothes and Cook Food Outside
On average, a clothes dryer uses 1,500 to 5,000 watts of power per load of laundry. The exact amount depends on the appliance’s features, including its efficiency, how large the loads are, and how long you set each drying cycle for.
While newer dryers tend to land on the lower end of this range, you can eliminate the cost of electricity to dry your clothes entirely when you take advantage of nice weather to hang them on a line outside. This also helps cut down on carbon emissions and supports environmental sustainability initiatives.
Cooking outdoors whenever possible can also save you money on electricity costs. The average electric oven can use anywhere between 1,000 to 3,000 watts of energy per hour, which you won’t need if you’re cooking outside on a grill or over a fire pit. You’ll also want to consider how much using your oven or stovetop inside during the summer will increase your indoor temperatures, since this will trigger your air conditioner to put out more cooling.
4. Use a Programmable Thermostat
When you want to optimize your home air conditioning, a programmable thermostat is one easy and affordable option. These devices allow you to set your preferred temperature according to a schedule and will automatically adjust your AC at the correct times based on your settings.
For example, you can use less energy overall without compromising your comfort just by setting your thermostat a little higher when you’re away from work. You can program it to start lowering the temperature about a half hour before you get home, so your space is nice and cool by the time you walk through the door.
5. Switch to Ductless Air Conditioning
Are you looking for a long-term solution to reduce your energy bills? Switching to ductless air conditioning can provide you with superior cooling comfort for less than the cost to operate a central or window AC. In fact, you can save as much as 30% on your heating and cooling bills when you upgrade to a mini-split system according to Mass Save.
This is because ductless units don’t lose energy through ductwork. With a central system, cool air gets warmer as it travels from one side of your home to the other. This causes one side of your house to be a much different temperature than the other, making it difficult to adjust your comfort level. Ductless ACs deliver cool air directly to the intended space, so there’s no unnecessary loss of energy.
Get Affordable AC for Sweltering Cape Cod Summers
If your summer energy bills are continuing to rise, you need a solution. At Cape Cod Heat Pumps, we can help you get energy-efficient air conditioning you can count on. Call 508-833-4822 to schedule a time for us to meet at your location for a quote. Or, fill out our online contact form here and we’ll get back to you as quickly as we can.
