7 Ways to Lower Your AC Costs

What can you do to lower your AC costs?

With warmer temperatures approaching and costs rising due to inflation, it's now more important than ever to pinch a penny where you can. 

Air conditioning in the summer can raise your electric bills through the roof. Well, what can you do to lower your AC costs? Here are some ways that you can tackle keeping those costs down:

1. Energy Audit

A good place to start is running an energy audit to figure out how much more efficient your AC unit can be. This will almost certainly uncover ways to reduce what you spend for energy leaving more money in your pocket. Now, you can either do this yourself or many utility companies will perform a very sophisticated audit at very low cost or, in some cases, for free.

What will a professional auditor be looking for? An energy audit puts your home through a stress test of sorts to find out if, how and where it might be leaking heating or cooling dollars.  Technicians who perform this investigation draw a vacuum on the entire house, pressurize air ducts, employ infra-red temperature sensors and use numerous other techniques to track down potential energy wasting conditions. A thorough audit not only identifies problems, but also provides recommendations on how to correct them. 

2. Insulate your home (and attic)

Insulation in your home provides resistance to heat flow and lowers your heating and cooling costs. Properly insulating your home not only reduces heating and cooling costs, but also improves comfort.

3. Check your windows 

Oftentimes, older windows are not as energy efficient as the ones manufactured today. While there are some upfront costs, the energy savings can add up in the long run. 

But, if you’re not ready to shell out the money for new windows, you can use caulk or weather stripping to prevent cool air from leaking out of your windows. Inspect your weather stripping and replace as needed. 

4. Program your thermostats 

Programmable thermostats allow you to adjust the temperature while you are away. Automating the temperature can help save you money by running the system only when you need it. 

Not only that, but consider setting your thermostat to a higher temperature. The lower you set your thermostat, the harder your air conditioning unit has to work, resulting in higher energy consumption and increased costs. By setting the thermostat to a slightly higher temperature, you can reduce the load on your AC unit and save on energy costs.

5. Service your AC system
Central air conditioning systems can sit idle for months at a time, then get pressed into service as warmer weather arrives. Schedule your seasonal maintenance to make sure your system is in good condition. There are also several things you can do now to make sure that your AC keeps cool as temperatures rise.

6. Consider ceiling and/or portable fans 

Fans can help circulate cool air in your home, making it feel cooler without actually lowering the temperature. This can allow you to set your thermostat to a higher temperature, saving on cooling costs. Its a great way to increase efficiency and keep AC costs down. 

7. Use shading techniques 

Wherever you can, draw the curtains, blinds or window films to block out sunlight and prevent heat from entering your home. You can also use outdoor shading devices, such as awnings or shade screens, to block direct sunlight from hitting your windows and reducing the heat gain.

A lot of the time, energy audits can uncover areas of the home that you may have not thought about as energy wasters. This is a great place to start, but also by implementing these energy-saving practices, you can effectively lower your air conditioning costs and reduce your overall energy consumption, resulting in both financial and environmental benefits.