Summer is one of the hardest seasons to conserve energy. Your air conditioner is constantly battling the heat and the sun can find all kinds of ways to raise the temperature of your home. That’s why we put together these energy-saving tips for summer that you can use to give your air conditioner a helping hand during the warmest months of the year.
Air conditioner maintenance and energy savings
Before we get into our specific energy-saving tips for summer, we wanted to stress the importance of taking care of your air conditioner. By getting annual maintenance and changing your air filter every month, you can ensure that your air conditioner will run as efficiently as possible. Without taking proper maintenance steps like these, any efforts you make toward saving energy will be offset by an inefficient cooling system.
6 energy-saving tips for summer
- Use a programmable thermostat. With a programmable thermostat, you’ll never forget about changing the temperature in your home. Simply figure out the energy-saving thermostat settings that are right for you and let the thermostat do the rest.
- Close window shades during the day. Window shades can block the sun’s heat from entering your home. When you don’t need the sunlight, close the shades on your south- and west-facing windows.
- Weatherstrip and caulk windows and doors. If you have air leaks in your home, warm air from outside can get indoors and heat your home. You can help limit air leaks by properly weatherstripping and caulking your windows and doors.
- Take advantage of your ceiling fans. Although ceiling fans don’t lower the temperature in a room, they make it feel cooler. When you’re using your ceiling fans, you can lower your thermostat by about four degrees without feeling a difference.
- Use your ventilation fans. Humidity can build up in your kitchen and bathrooms when you’re cooking and bathing. Use your ventilation fans to carry that heat and humidity out of your home.
- Cook with your grill instead of the oven.Your oven can add a surprising amount of heat to your kitchen. Instead of making your air conditioner work harder, why not enjoy the warm summer nights and grill outside?
If you have any questions about these energy-saving tips for summer, or if you’d like a cooling system serviced or installed in your home, contact Jerry Kelly Heating & Air Conditioning, your St. Louis heating and cooling company.
