How to Lower Your Energy Bills While Beating the Heat

As the weather here in Texas continues to rise and we’ve found ourselves at home now more than ever, you may be ready to crank up the AC. However, constantly running your air conditioning unit can not only put wear and tear on the system but also send your utility bills skyrocketing. Here are some tips to keep your home cool and your energy costs low!

Use Your Fans Instead of Your AC

Making use of your ceiling fans is a great way to cut back on your cooling costs, while also giving your AC a bit of a break. If you’re worried about not being able to keep cool, don’t worry — while ceiling fans don’t create cool air, they do help to remove heat away from your skin. Make sure to set your ceiling fans to run counterclockwise!

Also, ceiling fans utilize 1/60th of the energy of an air conditioner, saving you around 40% on energy costs while working to keep cool air circulating through your rooms.

Set Your Thermostat

The second the temperature outside rises, we bet your first reaction is to run to your thermostat to lower the settings. However, drastically lowering your thermostat will not make your home cooler more quickly— it will actually just use more energy because your AC will run longer.

It’s important to try to stick to the recommended temperature settings in order to run your HVAC efficiently. In the spring and summer, try to keep your thermostat as close to 75 degrees as possible. Using ceiling and floor fans will help!

Unplug Any Devices Not in Use

From laptops and phone chargers to kitchen tools and beauty products — many of the appliances in our home require electricity. Additionally, we tend to forget about unplugging these products when they’re not in use.

Not only can this extra electricity add to your monthly expenses, but it can also add to the amount of heat in your home. Give your home a good once over, and check for any appliances that can be unplugged in between uses. If possible, use appliances that generate a lot of heat and moisture (like your dishwasher and washing machine) at night, once the weather cools off a little.

Considering Installing a Zoned AC System

If you’ve found yourself arguing with your family members over the temperature settings in your home, a zoned air conditioning system may be your best bet. You can set different temperatures for each ‘zone’ (each room or area of the home), allowing you to send cool air only to the rooms that need it. This can eliminate wasting money on lowering the temperature in rooms that don’t need to be cooled--as well as end the “thermostat wars.”

Invest in a Programmable Thermostat

With the latest heating and cooling technology on the market, it’s easier than ever to control the temperature settings in your home while reducing energy waste. Programmable and ‘smart’ thermostats allow you to customize your thermostat’s settings depending on the room and time of day.

Let Some Fresh Air In at Night

While you may rely on your AC during the day, temperatures tend to drop at night — which means you may not have to run your unit while you’re asleep. Cut back on how much you’re using your air conditioner by shutting it off overnight and cracking some windows open. Just be sure to close them before turning your unit back on in the morning!

Maintain Your HVAC Unit

A broken or faulty cooling system can run your energy bill through the roof. Be sure to tune-up your AC annually and have a professional HVAC technician inspect your unit for signs of damage. They will also check your air filters and air ducts to make sure they’re clear. This way, you can repair or replace your unit before the heat kicks in — saving you money and keeping you cool.

HVAC Repairs in Arlington

Our Arlington AC repair technicians at Tom's Mechanical, Inc. can evaluate the health of your air conditioning unit to make sure that it is well-maintained and functioning optimally. We can also assist with duct repair or replacement, air filters, thermostats, central air conditioning systems, new system installation, and much more. Contact us today to book an appointment: (972) 388-3669.