Want To Stay Cool This Summer? Check Out These Quick Tips

When summer days get hotter, air conditioning can be a lifesaver! It feels great to escape the heat and cool down in the comfort of your home. At least, it does until the first skyrocketing energy bill arrives. Then things really heat up! How can you keep your house cool while saving money on the cost of cooling it? We’ve consulted with our energy experts and HVAC technicians and found seven ‘Handy’ tips to help you stay cool and save money on air conditioning.

1. Set your thermostat to a reasonably good temperature.

Before setting your thermostat to 72 degrees because that’s considered room temperature, remember that we tend to wear lighter clothes during the summer. Try gradually raising the temperature to somewhere between 73 and 79 degrees to find what’s comfortable for your home. The U.S. Department of Energy suggests 78 degrees as the ideal compromise—cool enough while saving you money. Every degree you raise the thermostat above 72 can save you three to five percent on your air conditioning energy costs.

2. Raise the temperature whenever you leave home.

Whenever nobody will be home for two or more hours, you can save energy by raising the temperature by seven to ten degrees. According to the Department of Energy, doing this consistently can save you up to 10 percent on cooling costs.

3. Save money at night.

When you sleep, your core body temperature lowers. This means you can likely raise the thermostat a bit at night, especially if you use lighter sleepwear and bed coverings.

4. Switch to a smart thermostat.

You can program a smart thermostat to raise the temperature by ten degrees during the day when everyone is at work, and then lower it 30 minutes before the first person returns home. Some smart thermostats offer even more advanced features to help you optimize temperature settings and maximize your savings.

5. Seal up the leaks.

The older your home, the more likely cold air is seeping outside. Install new weatherstripping and caulk around doors and windows. We recommend getting a home energy audit from your utility provider to identify all these leaks and determine the best steps to make your home more energy efficient.

6. Replace older air conditioning units with energy-efficient models.

Just like newer furnaces, today’s air conditioners are much more efficient than older models. If you suspect you’re paying too much to keep your house cool, it’s worth consulting an HVAC salesperson about your options.

7. Call a Handyside HVAC Expert to tune-up your A/C unit!

Follow these “Handy” tips, and you’ll save money while keeping your house reasonably cool this summer.