Turn Off Your AC At Night

One of our go-to recommendations when customers ask us, “how to save on our AC bill?” is AC use at night. This money-saving strategy is as obvious as day and night! Turn on your air conditioning during the day and turn it off at night. The evening air is naturally cooler, so switch off the air conditioning and open a window to take advantage of this. You might even get a mild breeze to keep you cool if you notice a breeze. Open windows or doors on all sides of your home to let it in.

Program Your Thermostat 

Every degree counts when it comes to lowering your summer air conditioning expense and conserving energy. Setting your thermostat to a reasonable setting that won’t make your unit work too hard while still making you feel comfortable is one of the most energy-efficient things you can do. As a general rule, you should set the thermostat between 71-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep in mind that for every degree of cooling you can do without, you save money on your energy bill. In the summer, avoid making it overly cool. Setting your thermostat one degree warmer than usual will save you up to ten percent on your energy bills. As a general rule, don’t set the thermostat lower than 8 degrees below the outdoor temperature.

Consider a thermostat with a built-in timer to assist lower your energy bill by not only controlling the temperature but also the hours of operation for best energy efficiency. Furthermore, it makes sense to have a system that does it automatically so you can set it and forget it. 

Close Your Blinds

Shade, shade, and more shade. Grab it however you can, and it will help your home stay cooler. As a result, your air conditioning system won’t have to work so hard to cool your home.

The first step is to keep your blinds, curtains, drapes, and awnings drawn and closed. Keep that glorious sunlight outside with blinds, roller blinds, plantation shutters, or lined curtains. Light-colored backings for blinds and drapes will also help reflect sun heat for windows that face the sun. 

By closing windows, blinds, shutters, or drapes, you may keep hot air and sun rays out, reducing the need for your air conditioner to work constantly to maintain the ideal temperature. If your windows have good blinds, heat absorption can be dramatically decreased. Even tinted windows can prevent part of the sun’s heat from entering your air-conditioned refuge, allowing your unit to work less hard. 

Our friends at Specialized AV, a smart home automation company, recommend incorporating smart blinds. You won’t have to worry about opening or closing your blinds again. Just set the schedule, and you’re good to go!

Air Conditioning Maintenance

Here’s another great way to save money on your air conditioning bill this summer. To maintain optimum efficiency, ensure that your air conditioning equipment is serviced on a regular basis and that the HVAC filter is either replaced or cleaned. Any air conditioning equipment that has a dirty filter has to work harder, which means more electricity and greater energy expenses! It’s important to get your annual air conditioning maintenance done by a professional heating and cooling company. They will ensure that everything is working properly. 

Now that you know a few tips on how to save on your AC bill, you can start saving today! Contact McQuillan Bros today to schedule your next HVAC service!