If you’re looking for affordable ways to make your home more heat efficient, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some tips that can help you reduce your cooling and heating bill for the next year. And keep in mind that many of these can help reduce heating costs as well.
1 – Look for air gaps
Insulation plays a big role in helping your air conditioner operate more efficiently. Your AC has to compensate for all the cold air that escapes the house, so it follows that the less cold air escapes, the easier it’ll be for your AC to reach and maintain your target temperature. Closing air gaps can also help maintain an even temperature around the house, preventing warm spots.
Air gaps are typically found around the doors and windows of the house. Check to make sure that those places have been weather-stripped. And if they have, make sure those strips are still in good condition. Look for gaps or tears in the material. You can also try to slip a dollar bill or a piece of paper in between the gaps of a closed door or window. If the paper slips through easily, the weatherstripping is probably not doing its job.
2 – Block out the sun
Sunlight shining through a closed window will carry heat into your home, which is the last thing you need when you’re trying to cool it down. Blackout shades or curtains can solve that issue.
3 – Clean the air filters
Air going out of the house isn’t your only concern; you also need to worry about the air coming in. Specifically, the air coming in through the AC unit, which has to go through filters before it’s cooled down and circulated to your house. Those filters serve two main functions: they help maintain indoor air quality, and they protect the AC system by keeping it clear of dust, fungus, and other contaminants that could cause damage to the equipment.
All of this is to say that regularly replacing your filters is important. It’s good for your health, it increases the longevity of the unit, and it can keep heating costs low. The latter is due to the fact that over time pollutants caught in the filter can restrict airflow into the AC unit, leading to more energy being required to pull air in.
You can replace the filters yourself, or you can have an AC repair professional do it for you, as the website of this Houston HVAC company shows.
4 – Install a smart thermostat
Smart thermostats can be adjusted remotely and programmed using your phone, making them a valuable tool for anyone looking to cut down on energy costs. You can program the AC so it’ll operate in line with your family’s routine, cutting waste down to a minimum.
5 – Consider ceiling fans
Ceiling fans can be a good way to reduce cooling costs, especially if you already have them installed. By circulating the cold air through the house, these fans can make your air conditioner’s job much easier. Running them alongside an AC unit typically leads to a lower energy bill than using an AC alone.
