As homes heat up all over the U.S., everyone is looking for ways to lower their energy bills. At Half Price Drapes, we’re always bringing you the newest tips to lower your utility bills but today we wanted to share some of the simplest tips that sometimes get overlooked.
Get used to a higher temperature
If you’re keeping your thermostat at 68 and wondering why your utility bills are so high, then it may be time to get used to a higher temperature. You could save hundreds of dollars by raising your temp to 78. Does this sound way too hot? Consider raising it one degree every three days. You’ll hardly notice as the temperature slowly creeps up.
Use your ceiling fans
Ceiling fans can help significantly when you want to keep a room cool without running the A/C at full blast. They’re not as expensive as you may think, but if you don’t want to invest in ceiling fans then consider simply adding some box fans to move the air around.
Close your window treatments in the heat of the day
If you have the air conditioning running, you have your windows closed, and if you have your windows closed then you should have your window coverings closed. It may be beautiful to have the sun streaming in all afternoon, but it’s also raising the temperature in your home. Consider heavier options like blackout curtains that will really minimize the sun’s effect on your temperature.
Keep your A/C maintained
Simply changing the filters and making sure your air conditioning unit is maintained can have a big difference too. If you’re not sure how often you should be changing your filter, check your A/C’s user manual. Don’t have it on hand? Look it up on the internet – most any air conditioning manufacturer will now have theirs online.
Know when to run your air conditioning and when to shut it down
Do you turn your temperature up during the day when you’re not home? This can be a great way to lower your energy costs – but it isn’t always. If you turn it up to 90 degrees and then turn it back to 72 when you come home, your A/C is going to have a work hard to get down to the ideal temperature. This heavy load can sometimes be worse than simply running at 72 while you’re gone. The key is that if it’s going to be at least 8 hours until you’re home, go ahead and turn the temp up. Otherwise, let it lie.