1: Try to use appliances that release heat during cooler parts of the day (early morning or late evening). For example the dishwasher, clothes dryer, or the oven (consider using microwave, toaster oven or the grill instead which all release less heat).
2: Close the blinds, curtains or use awnings to keep direct sunlight from shining in the house and heating it up.
3: Turn off lights when not in use as they give off heat and make the air conditioner work harder.
4: Check that all your windows and doors are properly sealed or caulked. Also make sure to check where you have pipes coming through the walls like under sinks etc.
5: Make sure to clean or replace the air filters once per month. A dirty filter restricts air flow causing the air conditioner to work harder.
6: Keep area around the condenser free from debris, tall grass and weeds so airflow is not restricted.
7: If you can shade the condenser unit without restricting the airflow, by keeping the condenser unit cooler you can reduce electricity usage of the unit by 10%.
8: Use ceiling fans, why they don’t lower the temperature they do make you feel like it’s five degrees cooler than it is.
9: Program your thermostat so you are not cooling down the house unnecessarily when you don’t need it.
10: Finally, turn up the temperature setting a couple of degrees. Every degree you go above 78 degrees is said to drop your energy usage by three to five percent.
With a few small, easy and inexpensive steps you can vastly reduce your energy bill during the summer months.
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