Did you know that heating and air conditioning consume about half of the average household’s energy bill every month? This fact from the U.S. Energy Information Administration highlights how heavily we rely on our heating and air units to keep us feeling comfortable all year long.
But you don’t have to pay so much for your heating and air conditioning services if you are smart about how you use your HVAC unit.
Here are a few tips on how to reduce the amount of money you spend.
- Program the Thermostat. In an older home with an older HVAC system, it may not be possible to program your AC unit to cool at various temperatures. This means that your system is probably working 24 hours a day, trying to keep up with your temperature settings. But if you have a programmable thermostat, you can change the temperature settings based on when your house is occupied. You don’t need to have the house extremely cool when people are at school or work. Instead, you can set the daytime hours to a higher temperature until the late afternoon or evening. This will give your AC unit some rest.
- Planting Trees. You may not realize it, but trees actually provide a great deal of shade for both your house and your air conditioning unit. If you plant a tree near the outdoor unit, and in locations that shade your home as the sun rises and sets, you could save up to 35% on your air conditioning costs, according to the Arbor Day Foundation.
- Regular Check-Ups. You don’t want to let your unit go for too long without being inspected by a heating and air conditioning service. Even the most reliable heating and air conditioner units undergo normal wear and tear, such as a clogged air filter, or a dusty evaporator coil. It is best to have HVAC repair services check your unit at least once before cooling season to prevent any major damage that could force your unit to work even harder or consume more energy.
With these tips, you should be able to reduce the amount of money you spend on heating and cooling. And with all the other expenses you probably have, it will be a much needed cost-cutting solution. To see more, read this: www.allseasonscomfortcontrol.com