If you laughed a little at the title, you probably know that “cheap” and “cool” don’t belong in the same sentence during hot Texas months. We can’t always avoid turning on our air conditioners on hot days, especially if our family includes someone who can’t tolerate the heat well. Luckily, you can learn how to use your air conditioning smarter so you can save money on your bill. Here are a few tips AC companies recommend for cooling your home.
Make sure you’re not cooling the whole neighborhood
You probably know not to leave all your windows and doors open while the AC is running, but have you checked your insulation recently? Older homes can leak heating and cooling in a number of places, through the seals on your doors and windows for example.
You don’t have to go to the expense of a home energy auditor replacing the insulation in your attic to help cut down on your AC bill. You can conduct an audit at home yourself by going outside and feeling the outside edges of your doors and windows. Do they feel chilly to the touch when your AC is running? Your cold air may be escaping.
You can slash how much AC escapes cheaply by getting some caulking from the hardware store and caulking around the windows. A few dollars now could mean big bucks saved on your air conditioning bill.
Don’t cool the house when no one is there
When you’re gone all day and no one is home, your AC will still function according to how you set it. Yet, if your AC is keeping the house cool all day long when no one is there, that’s money wasted. Instead, get a smart thermostat and set it to turn on right before you expect to be home. You can still come home to a cool house, but you won’t be paying for all those hours you’re not there.
Switch to LED light bulbs
Incandescent bulbs not only cost more money to run energy wise, they also give much of the energy they use off as heat. It doesn’t make sense to heat up your house while also trying to cool it down. LED bulbs don’t put off nearly as much heat, and also save a lot of money on your energy billon their own.
Cook wisely
Lighting isn’t the only potential source of heat in your home. When ever you use your stove or oven, it also heats the rest of your house. Of course, short of sticking to salads and wraps when it’s hot out, this is unavoidable. You can help save on your energy bill by cooking when it’s cooler, so the heat has time to dissipate before the natural heat of the day kicks in.
That means cooking at night or early in the morning, when the full heat of the day is no longer there. Try cooking your meals in batches, so you can go a few meals without having to turn your stove on again for added savings.
Staying cool for cheap doesn’t have to mean forgoing your AC in favor of a paddle pool, it just means being more smart about how you use your air conditioning. You can have both with these money and energy saving tips.
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