I always say that the easiest way to dramatically improve your net worth is to cut expenses (this is the heart of Principle 2). It's the one thing that you can control and take action on now that can have a big impact. In this post, we'll talk about some simple ways to save money while cooling your house.
Want to stay cool this summer while also dramatically lowering your cooling bills? Here’s how:
- Make the most of fans – Fans are your best bang-for-the-buck cooling devices. They can make you feel 10 or more degrees cooler but use about one-tenth as much electricity as air conditioning. So use them as much as you can! Use a regular or ceiling fan in conjunction with your window air conditioner to circulate cold air faster without greatly increasing your power use. Open the windows and use a fan on cooler days. Attic fans are great too as they pull cool air through the house at night and exhaust warm air trapped in the attic.
- Keep your systems running strong – You can save hundreds by making sure your cooling system is functioning at peak levels. Start by testing, cleaning, and tuning up the system as the weather starts to warm up. Continue by cleaning or replacing air conditioner filters monthly. Be sure to keep outside vents free of leaves or debris that may clog vents. Also provide shading for your air conditioning condenser by planting trees or shrubs that shade units but do not block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun. Make sure all the cool air pumped out gets through your house by sealing and insulating cooling system ducts. Finally, check all registers to avoid having furniture or drapes blocking the flow of air.
- Caulk away – Did you know that a 1/8-inch opening around just two door frames can let in as much warm air as a small window opened six inches all summer long? Prevent this by caulking all windows and doors and/or use weather-stripping. Use draft guards for doors to uncooled areas and outside doors. Fill gaps and cracks in the foundation, around windows and doors, vents, and so on, that let summer heat in and repair any holes in your roof, walls, doors, ceilings, windows and floors. Doing this can save you up to 10 percent of cooling costs!
- Only cool what you have to – A significant amount of dollars can be saved by not cooling areas that don’t need cooling. Close doors to seldom-used rooms and turn off air conditioning (or close vents) in these areas. Keep your closet doors closed, since there is no need to cool them. Turn off (or up) the air conditioner when nobody’s home. If you want your place cooled down by the time you get home, buy an air conditioner timer and set it to click on half an hour before you arrive. If you have window air conditioners, turn them off when a room will be vacant for a few hours. You’ll use less energy cooling the room down later than if you had left the unit running.
That's it for now. Tune in next time for five more great ideas for saving on cooling costs.
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