How To Reduce Air Conditioning Costs
Summer and electricity bills have a close relationship. When the mercury level in the thermometer rises, the energy use and the utility bills also go up. It is mainly due to the air conditioner’s need to combat the scorching summer heat.
Today, the air conditioners available on the market are energy efficient and come with smart technologies to ensure better control of cooling. Even then, households that operate air conditioners for 24 hours during summer end up paying hefty energy bills.
Do you know your air conditioners contribute to almost 50 percent of your total utility bills?
It means that your energy saving plans cannot produce significant results if you are not focusing on your air conditioners. In Virginia, maintenance and air conditioning services can help you to reduce your utility expenses up to an extent.
Are you searching for ways to cut down the hefty energy bills during summer?
With the following tips, you can reduce the energy spending on your air conditioners and see greater savings on your energy bills.
Replace Your Old Air Conditioners
Most air conditioners come with a lifespan of 10-15 years. If you have air conditioners that are older than 10 years, note that you are using a cooling technology that is more than a decade old. Also, its years of service reduce the energy efficiency of your cooling equipment that forces it to consume more energy.
It is highly recommended to replace all the air conditioners that are over 15 years old. While it comes with some significant initial costs, you can offset it with long term savings.
Are you confused? As we discussed before, most air conditioners available on the market come with better energy efficiency features than they did a decade ago. If you choose an Energy Star air conditioner, you can cut down the cooling costs by 30-50 percent.
You can ensure the savings from the year of purchase of the air conditioner to the subsequent years. The accrued savings over the years can overcome your initial spending on new air conditioners and give you overall benefits in terms of energy bills.
In addition to utility bill savings, new units need less repair and maintenance. This means that your yearly AC maintenance bills are also much lower if you choose new equipment for your property.
Install A Programmable Thermostat
As the temperature regulator of the property, your thermostat has a bigger role than you think. Installing a programmable thermostat is an important step towards achieving energy efficiency and reducing utility bills.
A programmable thermostat is a smart device that ensures energy savings in multiple ways. It helps you to set the temperature at the exact point of your personal comfort.
You don’t need to set air conditioning high when you are away from home.
In programmable thermostats, you have the option to schedule temperature settings according to your family’s routine. It helps you ensure sufficient cooling when you’re at home and minimal cooling when you’re away – a great way to reduce your energy bills in the long term.
Also, a programmable thermostat helps you to ensure consistent temperature throughout your property. It avoids cold or hot spots in various areas of your home to make you comfortable with uniform cooling.
Today, technological innovations, such as smart speakers, enable people to control a programmable thermostat through their smartphones. It helps you to switch off your air conditioners while you are away and start cooling the property just 30 minutes before you return.
Clean Or Replace The AC Filters Regularly
You know that AC filters often stuck with dust and need regular cleaning. Note that dirty air filters are the major reason for air conditioning breakdowns and make your energy bills up by 7 percent during summer. Dirty, clogged air filters slow down the airflow and force the cooling system, including the blower fan, to put extra effort to keep up the temperature.
Especially during summer, change the AC filters once a month if you are using a centralised air conditioning unit. Also, remove and clean the AC filters monthly if you’re equipped with window units.
Note that some air filters are reusable while others need replacement. Also, the air filters are available in different types with varied efficiency. While cleaning or replacing the filters once a month is ideal for most air conditioning systems, you may do it more frequently if your property has excess dust or use the air conditioners continuously.
Use Window Shades To Block Sunlight
Do you know the unwanted entry of heat is a major reason for high utility bills for cooling? Mainly through windows, almost 30 percent of heat enters properties, and if you can block the extra heat, you can ensure that the saving is reflected in your utility bills.
You can put shades on the windows that are facing the sun. You can use insulating curtains or inexpensive tinted films on windows. This can help you to save up to 7 percent of your cooling costs. If you want cheap options for blocking the sun, you can choose low-E films and prevent the entry of unwanted heat.
However, the best way to get shades while ensuring a cooler environment around your property is by planting trees. The foliage shades can even block the heat entry through the roof and walls of your property. This reduces the unwanted heat increase to the property and minimises the need for frequent cooling.
With carefully positioned trees around your property, especially around the eastern and western sides of it, you can reduce the utility bills up to 30 percent for cooling.
Schedule HVAC Checkups Annually
An annual checkup of your HVAC unit is important for ensuring it operates efficiently throughout the year. An Abel Air Services technician can inspect, service, and ensure the proper functioning of the AC system at your property.
The technicians remove the dirt in the unit, check for any defects, repair them, service the unit, and replace the filters if required.
Annual maintenance can reduce the HVAC repairing costs significantly and help you to save in utility bills with efficient operations. It also helps you to repair minor issues of your unit that otherwise grow into major issues that require costly repairs and replacements.
The annual checkup also enhances the life of your air conditioning system along with improving the efficiency.
Use Fans For Air Circulation
Moving air can keep your property cool, and your ceiling fans can do the job. While using fans, you can set your thermostat at higher temperatures without experiencing any inconvenience.
Note that each degree above 77-degrees Fahrenheit on a thermostat setting can save you from 5 to 10 percent of your total cooling costs. The movement of air due to the ceiling fan increases the rate of evaporation from your body and keeps you feeling cool.
Today, Energy Star-rated ceiling fans are available on the market. These fans come with at least 10 percent energy savings compared to standard ceiling fans. You can use those fans and contribute to your energy savings.
With the proper use of ceiling fans, you can feel cooler up to 8 degrees by making use of the movement of air that provides you with the effect of cool breezes inside your property.
Make Your Property Tightly Sealed
Try to close all the unwanted openings that allow access for heat to the interior as well as loss of cool air to the exterior. You can seal cracks and crevices around the windows and doors of your property using a caulking gun. Weather stripping for doors is another great way to prevent cool air from going outside.
Installing security doors for the exterior access doors is an excellent way to prevent cooling the exterior at your expense. While security doors are expensive, it also helps you to take utility bill benefits throughout the year. During winter, the doors prevent the loss of heat from interior to exterior and reduce your utility expenditure for heating the property.
Additionally, the security doors provide added security to your property. They give an additional layer of safety for your property, especially from burglars, termites, exterior climate changes, and other issues. You can set off the initial expense of installing security doors with multiple benefits, including long term savings on energy bills.
Conclusion: Use Smart Choices
When the energy costs go up year after year, and people around the globe are in search of efficient ways to make savings in their utility bills, you should be ready to adopt smart choices and technologies that can make your property energy efficient.
Understanding heating and cooling in properties and making it smart for energy efficiency is often beyond your expertise, especially when it comes to the latest technologies for it. In such situations, you can get the assistance of a professional servicer to create a cool environment inside your property while not worrying about the energy bills.
At Abel Air Services, we offer a comprehensive range of heating and cooling solutions, including regular maintenance, industrial air conditioning system, ducted heating solutions, and much more.
We serve the following areas: Woodbridge, Dumfries, Stafford, Fredericksburg, Bristow, Centreville, Nokesville, Gainesville, Manassas, Manassas Park, Warrenton, Chantilly, Reston, Herndon, Fairfax, Oakton, Clifton, Fairfax Station, Burke, Springfield and Alexandria.
Go through our Virginia maintenance air conditioning services and see how those solutions can help you to achieve your energy saving efforts, or call 703-680-3156 today.
