Summer presents significant challenges when it comes to home-energy efficiency, and as temperatures rise, many homeowners find that their energy bills do the same. Fortunately, there are a number of measures that you can take to hold down your energy bills while the temperature climbs, including:
- Change your air conditioner’s filters every one to three months, or whenever they get dirty. Clogged filters cost you money by forcing your air conditioner to work harder to blow air through clogs. Check them monthly. If you can see visible clogs and dirt on the filter itself, change them.
- Shut the shades or draw the blinds to keep the sun from heating up your house. Installing porch awnings and planting shade trees around your house also helps to beat the heat.
- Avoid using heat-producing appliances on hot days. You can lower energy costs by cooking on an outdoor grill and using your microwave whenever possible. Also, save baking for cool mornings and evenings.
- Have your air conditioner serviced. Annual maintenance boosts your cooling system’s efficiency and increases its life span. The best time for maintenance is spring. That way, your air conditioner will be ready to roll when hot weather hits.
- Update your lighting. Fluorescent light bulbs not only last longer and use less energy than older incandescent bulbs, but they also produce less heat.
- Install a programmable thermostat. These types of thermostats enable you to set specific temperature schedules to automate control of your HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system. You can set your desired temperatures for a variety of of days and times, such as the same for every weekday, but different for weekends. This ensures that your HVAC system isn’t running needlessly while you’re away from home at work, on vacation, or even when you’re asleep.
- Keep cool with a ceiling fan. Fans create a cooling breeze that makes your rooms feel cooler, which enables you to raise the thermostat a few degrees without sacrificing comfort.
- Make sure your home is well insulated, especially the attic. A poorly insulated attic allows heat to creep in during the summer, and also your cool, conditioned air to seep out. High-efficiency insulation can lower your energy bills by as much as 20 percent.
- Install energy-efficient windows and doors.
To learn more about ways to lower your energy bills this summer, contact Mowery, Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing. We’ve been serving the Indianapolis area since 1970.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
Mowery services the Brownsburg, Indiana and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!
