How do I save money on my cooling costs this year?
This summer is going to be sweltering. This translates to higher heating and cooling costs. Oklahoma has already seen some blackouts due to equipment failure that was exacerbated by the early heatwaves in May. Unfortunately, blackouts could be a trend this year. Bulletproof your home’s efficiency and prepare for possible blackouts by following these tips.
Daily Habits to Improve AC Efficiency During a Heatwave
- Use heavy window curtains to keep the heat of the sun from heating up your house. Make sure you close them during the day to keep out radiant heat from the sun, especially when you are not home. If you want some light to still come in, close only the curtains on windows that let in direct sunlight.
- Update weather stripping on doors and keep doors closed during the heat of the day.
- Install more energy-efficient windows.
- Keep your ventilation filters changed (monthly) and have your AC tuned up biannually to keep it functioning efficiently.
- Use your oven or stovetop sparingly during hot days. Choose instead to use an outdoor grill, air fryer, Instant Pot, or prep food on cooler days.
- Keep your thermostat set to 78 Degrees Fahrenheit when you are not home and only cool the house further when you are home. Opting to wear loose-fitting clothes in the house and adjusting to keeping your home around 75-78 degrees will obviously keep your utility expenses the lowest but cooling your home further only when you are home will help.
- Keep ceiling fans circulating air all day to improve AC efficiency and make it feel cooler in your home.
Improving the Efficiency of Your AC System
Older heating and cooling units can be a significant energy sink in your home, upgrading your system can provide you with significant energy savings. AC units are categorized by SEER rating (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio), learn more about SEER ratings here.
In addition, our variable speed units can ramp up and ramp down based on the heating and cooling needs of your home at any given moment. In this way, they are not running at full speed every time they turn on. This reduces the noise levels around your home and reduces utility costs as well as wear and tear on your unit.
In addition to getting a new unit, there are specific upgrades that you can request to reduce wear and tear on your unit, allowing you to get full use out of your new unit for its entire lifespan (~10 years.)
If your unit is older, but not yet needing replacement (we don’t unnecessarily replace units that are still in good working order), we can suggest upgrades or repairs help your unit perform as efficiently as it can for the remainder of its lifespan. Book a service visit!
