How to Reduce Cooling Costs Over the Summer
When it comes to reducing cooling bills and being eco-friendly over the summer, the best thing anyone can do is reduce cooling in their homes when no one is home. People stay so busy during the summer with work, vacations, and activities that there are long periods when no one is occupying the home, but the air conditioner is still working hard to overcome the heat. While there are other strategies for reducing energy consumption, nothing else comes close to simply turning up the thermostat.
While turning up the thermostat may sound like a recipe for being sweaty and frustrated, there is no need to worry. With a few changes around the home, homeowners can reduce their bills without sweating it out. Here are a few strategies to beat the heat without paying through the nose.
Set the Thermostat at 80 to 82 Degrees
The first step in reducing energy usage during the summer is to set the thermostat to 80 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit when nobody is home. This allows the home to heat up a little and save a few cycles on the air conditioner over a few hours. Additionally, this temperature is perfect because it keeps the home from overheating and causing the air conditioner to run a long cycle to catch up when people return home.
The only downside to this strategy is that it can be easy to forget to adjust the thermostat manually. Also, upon returning home, the first person will have to sit in a warm house while the air conditioner cools things off. This is where smart thermostats and programmable thermostats can help.
Aim for Small Adjustments
The secret behind raising the temperature in the home is that it saves cycles and total runtime on the air conditioner. One mistake many people make when adopting this strategy is making big changes to the thermostat, hoping it will save more money or cool things off faster. Unfortunately, that’s not how thermostats work. Regardless of how far someone turns the thermostat down, the AC is already working as fast as possible. The only thing that happens differently is that the homeowner wastes tons of money when they forget to turn it back up.
Make small adjustments to the thermostat to better control the temperature in the home and save money. This keeps the machinery from being short-cycled or left to run too long.
Rely on Smart Thermostats
The strategies discussed so far have one point of failure, human error. While manually adjusting the thermostat is a great way to save energy and money, there is too big of a margin for error. Luckily, smart and programmable thermostats can do the job with no problems.
Some smart thermostats learn people's movements in the home and adjust the thermostat accordingly. This way, the thermostat automatically allows the home to warm when nobody is around, but it cools the home before anyone returns. People in the home will likely not notice a difference until the bill comes and it is cheaper than expected.
About A-Plus Air Conditioning & Home Solutions
A-Plus Air Conditioning & Home Solutions has been trusted in the Austin community for over 45 years. They provide flat rate pricing, financing, and fast friendly service. Call them today for smart thermostat installation and air conditioning services in Austin, TX.
