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4 Smart Ways to Reduce Home Cooling Costs

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Ask many people to name their most used appliances in the home and air conditioners would probably rank similarly to staples like dishwashers, microwaves, and washing machines. Being able to keep your home at the desired temperature regardless of weather conditions is certainly a perk, but if you’re not careful, you could be dealing with large cooling bills. There are several things you can do to keep your home comfy without breaking the bank.

Use a Ceiling Fan Along With Your Air Conditioner

Using a ceiling fan in an air-conditioned home can reduce cooling costs dramatically because it costs so little to run fans even if they are operating all day. Ceiling fans consume much less power than air conditioners do, so they are good complements to your air conditioner. Furthermore, you can install ceiling fans in areas of the home that tend to get a little stuffy to conquer the rising temperatures without having to crank up the thermostat.

Bear in mind that a ceiling fan doesn’t actually cool down the temperature in a room. Instead, it circulates air and makes the people in the room feel better. That means it’s useless to use a ceiling fan in an empty room but could offer good results when there are people in the space.

Use Your Air Conditioner on a Timer

Most modern air conditioners have timer settings that allow users to set them up so they turn off or switch to lower settings at night or when the home is unoccupied. It’s a good idea to see if your air conditioner offers such settings. If it does, learn how to use it and figure out which settings work best for your family.

Strategically Plant Trees Around Your Home

Another way to cut your home cooling costs is to pay attention to your home’s landscaping. Is the sun shining into your home directly and heating things up? If you run into that problem, one pleasing way to solve it is by planting trees to block the sun while simultaneously beautifying things.

Just look for 15 to 20-foot trees at your local garden center. If you’re unsure which types to buy, ask for help from a sales representative and specifically mention you want something to provide shade.

If you have an outdoor air conditioner, it’s even beneficial to make the area around it shadier. When the surrounding environment is cooler, the air conditioner won’t work as hard. A more efficient air conditioner is usually cheaper to run.

Stay On Top of Air Conditioner Maintenance

When you follow recommended air conditioner maintenance procedures, your unit will be in the best condition to run efficiently. One important periodic maintenance measure involves changing the air conditioner’s filter. The filter automatically removes contaminants from the air as the air conditioner operates but if the filter becomes too dirty because it’s not changed frequently enough, the efficiency level of the air conditioner will drop.

Buying the proper air conditioner filter is not always as straightforward as it seems. However, an AC filter guide is a good resource to refer to as needed.

Besides keeping up with DIY maintenance, get on a schedule of professional maintenance so specialists can uncover potential problems that could result in system failures if not addressed promptly. You can also ask the technician if there are further maintenance techniques that could reduce running costs between tuneups. If it gets to the point where it costs too much to maintain the air conditioner you have, perhaps it’s time to upgrade. A professional can offer sound advice about that option.

As you can see, it’s easier than you might have thought to keep cooling costs down without breaking a sweat. Try these tips soon and enjoy lower bills.