In many parts of the world, summer looms as a pricy threat, bringing large, air conditioning-driven utility bills. No one wants to live without climate control, but paying high sums of money for cool temperatures is no fun. Discover four ways moms can save their families money on air conditioning costs this summer.
Replace Your Air Filters Monthly
Image via Flickr by HomeSpot HQ
Deteriorating air conditioning filters impact your utility bills. As the summer wears on and your air conditioning use rises, your filters will start to accumulate dirt and can break down.
To avoid that problem, check your air filters each month during the summer. If the filter looks mostly intact, you can carefully clean off debris and reinstall the filter. If the filter shows signs of damage, buy a new one and replace the filter as soon as possible. A simple filter replacement can head off high utility charges and costly service calls.
Be Conservative With Air Conditioning Use
The easiest way to save money is to turn off the air conditioning when you can. Pay attention to the weather report; on more temperate days, open the windows and turn off the thermostat.
At night, or if you’re traveling away from the house for an extended period and you don’t have pets who need the temperatures to stay cool, turn off the temperature setting. Some people believe that turning down the air conditioning slightly during unoccupied times is a more energy-efficient approach. But consider the energy use fact that you’ll save money by turning the air conditioning off instead of cooling an empty house.
Use a Programmable Thermostat
Managing your thermostat in practice is something of a chore. You have to remember to adjust the thermostat every day before you leave the house and adjust it when you return home. Inevitably, you’ll make mistakes, and forget. But if the mistake involves forgetting to turn down the thermostat before going on vacation, you could be faced with a substantial bill.
Programmable thermostats can bypass this hassle, letting you plan your cooling needs ahead of time. Newer models allow you to control your climate remotely through smart devices.
Check and Clean Air Conditioning Vents
The best systems won’t work properly if your air conditioning vents are closed. Closed vents do more than block cooling in a particular room. When one room has a different temperature than the rest of the house, the temperature difference can confuse the thermostat and derail the on-off cycles.
Moreover, vents accumulate their own layer of dust, accumulations that can keep your home’s air conditioning system from cooling a room optimally. Be sure to regularly remove dust and debris from your air conditioning vents and vent covers.
When summer ends and winter beckons, you may find yourself missing the heat and humidity. But in the midst of summer weather, you’ll want to use your air conditioning system to keep cool without guilt. When you trim your cooling expenses, you won’t need to sweat over high utility bills to keep your family comfortable.
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