How To Lower Your AC Costs While Keeping Cool This Summer
Do you cringe at the thought of seeing higher utility bills this summer? Keep reading to see the simple tips that could make those bills lower than ever while still keeping you comfortable.
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Do a Little Landscaping
When’s the last time you checked on your condenser? If you don’t know what it is, it’s the unit that sits on the ground outside.
Why should you check on it? To make sure that shrubs or other landscaping aren’t obstructing it and keeping the condenser from doing its job, which is to get rid of heat from your home.
If shrubs are covering the condenser, airflow will be obstructed, and the unit will have to work overtime to get the job done. This will result in 30 percent higher energy consumption and a bigger bill at the end of the month.
If you see anything obstructing airflow from your condenser, trim it. Be sure to do this periodically, and you should see your bill go down even when those outside temperatures are scorching hot.
Stop Closing Your Vents
Are you guilty of closing some AC vents in rooms you barely use? While this may seem like a good move, it’s actually not, and it could lead to a higher bill and a hotter house.
Closing vents increases duct pressure that can cause air leaks. Instead of circulating in your home to keep you cool, leaked air can sneak into your crawl space or attic.
To alleviate problematic duct pressure, open up all of your vents. This will keep all of the rooms in your home cool while making your AC 20 percent more efficient.
Grab Some Salt, Ice Cubes, and a Fan
While the thought of turning your AC off during the summer may sound like torture, you should do it for at least one hour per day. Why? Because studies show that doing so and using a fan instead can lower your monthly bill by $20.
Fans have been proven to be highly effective coolers, as they can drop the temperature by eight degrees. But to increase your fan’s cooling powers, put a bunch of ice cubes in a pan and top them with rock salt. Put the pan in front of the fan and turn it on, and you should feel a cooling sensation that’s even more enjoyable than your expensive AC.
As for why this trick works so well, it’s because the ice cubes amplify the cool breeze from your fan, while the salt keeps them from melting quickly.
Use Your Kitchen and Bathroom to Combat Costly Humidity
The next time you take a shower or cook something, run your bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans, and let them run for 10 minutes afterward as well. The fans will reduce moisture in the air, which will lower the overall humidity in your home.
Why is humidity bad? Because it increases the burden on your AC and makes it harder to cool the air. The less humidity, the less energy you’ll use.