Trying the beat the heat this summer but scared you’ll end up with a huge electricity bill each month? It’s a common concern for many of our heating and cooling customers in Loveland. Air conditioning is a much-needed convenience in your home during the peak of the Colorado summer, but if you aren’t careful, you could end up running up a huge energy bill. We’ve been working with Loveland families for years, helping them lower the costs of heating and cooling their homes, and thanks to our experience we have several suggestions that can help you stay cool without the expense! Check out these tips and try some of them in your home this summer.
Beat the Heat Without Breaking the Bank
Keep the air moving.
When you keep air moving in your home, it’s going to feel cooler. Do things like opening windows in different areas of the home to create a cross breeze. Or try plugging in a fan in certain parts of the house to keep air moving around. These little things can make a big difference in the overall temperature, and on mild days you’ll probably find that you don’t need to turn the AC on at all. Remember, though, that if you do open the windows, turn off the air conditioning. You’ll end up paying for cool air that’s just escaping out the window.
Turn up the temp…a little.
The difference between cooling your house to 68 degrees instead of 72 degrees is bigger than you might realize. Some estimates put the cost savings at nearly 10% off of your energy bill for every degree you raise the temperature. That might not true for every household and every season, but even a fraction of that is worth saving on your energy bill. You probably won’t even really notice the temperature difference. When it’s 90 degrees outside, a house that’s cooled to 72 is still going to feel nice to walk into!
Give your AC regular maintenance.
There are some days you are just going to need your air conditioner; you’ll get no arguments from us about that! We know how hot the Colorado summers can get. In order to get the most efficiency from your air conditioner without paying too much, make sure it is regularly maintained. This will include things such as:
- Changing the filters on a regular basis.
- Scheduling annual maintenance.
- Keeping the area around your AC clean.
The Buckhorn Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. team can help you make sure you have all the maintenance that you need so your system runs as efficiently as possible.
Block out the sun.
Keeping out the sun will help you keep the temperature of your home cooler during the day. Windows in your home let in the light, but they can have a greenhouse effect that causes your interior to heat up quickly. Pull your shades or close your blinds during the day to keep direct sunlight from your home. You can open them back up once the sun has passed. It will make a big difference in your temperature!