How to Reduce Your Air Conditioner Usage
Many of us run our air conditioners around the clock during the summer months. What most people don’t know is that an air conditioners efficiency decreases when the temperature outside increases. If the summer’s average temperature is even 1 or 2 degrees higher, you could end up spending hundreds of dollars more on your electricity bill. The following six tips will help you reduce your air conditioner usage and implementing a few of them together will save you hundreds of dollars over the course of the summer.
Leave the Thermostat at 78 Degrees, or Higher
First of all, it is important to set your air conditioner to the highest temperature that you find comfortable. The higher you set it, the more money you will save. For most people, 78 degrees Fahrenheit is a comfortable room temperature. You’ll save approximately 3% off the cost of your energy bill for every degree you increase your air conditioner’s thermostat. To further increase these savings, you can program the temperature to be even higher when no one is in the house or during the night when everyone is asleep. Never set the temperature below 78 degrees (or whatever your target temperature is) to try and cool your house down faster. This will not work. Air conditioners reduce the temperature of a room/house at a constant rate.
Close the Curtains
Keeping the curtains open lets natural light into your home which can help reduce the costs associated with keeping the lights on, but letting sunlight into your home contributes to higher indoor temperatures. This forces your air conditioner to be on for longer periods of time which contributes to increased energy costs. Closing the curtains on east and west facing windows will have the biggest impact because they let the most light in during the morning and evening, respectively. Opening the curtains and drapes after sunset will help let some of the heat in your house escape through the windows.
Use Fans
Another easy way to reduce your air conditioner use is to place fans in strategic areas around your home. Depending on how hot the weather is and how cool it gets during the night; you can sometimes turn your air conditioner off overnight and rely on fans to keep your home comfortable. This can greatly decrease your energy usage because running several fans takes a fraction of the energy required to power an air conditioner. If turning the air conditioner off isn’t an option, using fans is still a great way to supplement the use of an air conditioner because it will allow you to turn the temperature a degree or two higher while maintaining the same level of comfort. If you don’t have a central air conditioning system then fans are also a great way to move cooler air from one room to another.
Use a Dehumidifier
Humidity is the reason why some days feel hotter than they actually are. The more humidity (moisture) there is in the air on a hot day, the hotter the air feels on your skin. The higher the level of humidity, the harder it is for sweat to be evaporated into the air. This contributes to a higher body temperature. When it is really hot outside due to a high relative humidity, turn your dehumidifier on to get rid of as much moisture in your house as possible. If you have fans and a dehumidifier running, you should be able to turn your thermostat up a degree or two.
Work During Off Peak Hours
Activities such as doing the laundry, using the dishwasher and cooking all contribute to increasing the temperature in your home. If possible, leave these chores for later in the evening or when no one is home. Performing physically demanding tasks during the middle of the day will make you feel uncomfortable and will make you want to turn your thermostat down another degree or two. Saving hard work for a cooler time of day will remove this temptation and make the work less exhausting.
Keep Air Conditioners in the Shade
The best place to install a central air conditioner is on the north side of a house. If possible, place the unit in the shade of a tree, overhang or roof. Keeping it out of the sun helps to keep its internal temperature down, enabling it to run more efficiently. The more efficient your air conditioner is, the less time it has to run for in order to keep your home cool. If there is no way to keep the unit in the shade, planting a few shrubs or plants around the air conditioner is another way to help keep its temperature down.