Greenwood, IN’s, warm summer temperatures can cause your air conditioner to work overtime to maintain a comfortable indoor climate. However, the AC unit’s excess energy usage can skyrocket your energy payments incredibly quickly. That’s why many Greenwood residents yearn for a way to reduce their monthly energy payments without sacrificing their comfort.
Fortunately, Complete Comfort Heating, A/C & Plumbing Repair put together a few efficient tips and tricks to teach you how to lower your energy bills during the hot summer season.
Complete Comfort Heating, A/C & Plumbing Repair is Greenwood’s trusted heating and cooling company. From residential air conditioner repair to commercial heater installation, no job is too big or too small for the Complete Comfort Heating, A/C & Plumbing Repair team.
Nine Tips To Lower Your Energy Payments in Greenwood, IN
Your HVAC system is one of the primary factors affecting your energy costs. In fact, it’s often responsible for over 40% of your energy bill.
Fortunately, you can decrease your energy costs without impacting your home’s indoor climate in a variety of ways. Continue reading to learn how to lower your energy bills during Greenwood’s hot summer months.
1. Change the Air Filter Regularly
One of the easiest and most efficient ways to reduce your air conditioner’s energy consumption is to change its air filter regularly.
Air filters catch dust, dirt, and other airborne pollutants that decrease your home’s indoor air quality. However, when they become overly dirty, they create troublesome clogs that put additional stress on your AC unit, causing it to work harder to cool your home. Since your air conditioner has to work harder to maintain your home’s interior climate, it will use more energy, significantly increasing your electric bills over time.
Replacing your air filter every one to two months (depending on the AC unit’s design) will help your air conditioner cool your home faster and more efficiently, dramatically reducing its energy consumption. Fresh air filters make it much easier to keep a pleasant indoor climate and will provide several other benefits as well, including:
- Extends your air conditioner’s lifespan
- Improves your home’s indoor air quality
- Prevents uneven air distribution
- Lowers energy costs
Changing an AC unit’s air filter is very simple and doesn’t require an HVAC professional. Just buy a high-quality filter from your local home improvement store, remove the current filter, and slide in the new one.
2. Keep Your Air Ducts Clean
Like dirty air filters, filthy air ducts can take a toll on your air conditioner, causing it to work harder to keep your interior cool and comfortable. Excessive dust and debris can create blockages within the ductwork that prevent cool air from reaching specific rooms. This can cause your electric bills to soar while reducing your home’s indoor air quality.
Cleaning your air ducts every few months will prevent clogs, reduce the stress on your AC system, and improve your air quality. If your air ducts are ten years old or older, or you haven’t cleaned your home’s ductwork before, it’s best to hire a professional to handle the cleaning. Professional air duct cleaners understand the best cleaning methods and have special tools that make the process quicker and more effective.
3. Repair Air Duct Damage
Sometimes air ducts experience damage that create tiny holes and gaps within their structure. Cool air can escape through these holes during transport, making it difficult for your home to maintain a stable and pleasant temperature. Fixing damaged air ducts will improve air distribution and reduce your air conditioner’s energy consumption.
Patch ductwork holes with aluminum duct tape and cover it with a mastic duct sealant to give it additional support until you contact a professional to make full repairs. If your air ducts have extensive damage, it might be better to replace them before they break down entirely.
4. Have Your Air Conditioner Serviced Regularly
Hiring an HVAC professional to service your air conditioner a few times a year is one of the best ways to ensure that it operates at its highest efficiency level without wasting energy. Professional technicians perform several tweaks and adjustments that help your unit reach its full potential, including:
- Change the air filter
- Clean the coils
- Inspect and test connections
- Test safety controls
- Refill refrigerant
- Evaluate the motor
- Clean the unit’s interior
- Improve thermostat functionality
Your unit’s maintenance frequency depends on its age, use, and several other factors. However, most HVAC systems need professional servicing at least once a year to maintain optimal performance.
5. Maintain an Optimum Temperature Range
Most homeowners don’t realize AC units have a specific optimum temperature range that can reduce their energy payments while keeping their residence cool and comfortable. Ask your HVAC technician what your system’s optimum temperature range is or check the owner’s manual to determine the best setting.
That said, the United States Department of Energy advises homeowners to keep their thermostats at 78 degrees during the summer and 68 degrees during the winter. When you leave your home, you can increase or decrease the temperature (depending on the season) a bit more to further reduce your energy consumption.
Keep in mind that increasing or decreasing your home’s indoor temperature too much when you aren’t home can actually have the opposite effect. Drastic temperature changes can significantly heighten your energy bills since your HVAC unit will have to work overtime to cool/heat your home when you return. Never raise your thermostat more than ten degrees when you leave your home to ensure that you don’t adversely affect your electric bills.
6. Upgrade to Programmable Thermostats
Programmable thermostats allow you to set specific cooling/heating schedules throughout the day. For example, you can set the thermostat to automatically increase your home’s indoor temperature while you’re at work and reduce it right before you return, helping you save energy.
Homeowners have several programmable thermostats to choose from, including:
- 7-day thermostats: Allows you to set specific heating/cooling settings each day of the week.
- 5-1-1 thermostats: Offers one cooling/heating schedule during weekdays and one for Saturday and Sunday.
- 5-2 thermostats: Provides the same heating/cooling schedule as 5-1-1 variations but requires Saturday and Sunday to have the same plan.
- 1-week thermostats: Allows only one cooling/heating schedule throughout the week.
Try to find a programmable thermostat that fits your needs as well as your budget to help you diminish your monthly electric bills.
If you want to take your savings one step further, you can install a smart thermostat in your Greenwood home. Smart thermostats provide everything you know and love about programmable models but with even more benefits.
Many allow you to adjust or set temperature schedules from your phone, giving you complete control over your indoor climate even if you aren’t home. Some even learn your daily routine and adjust the settings automatically to make your HVAC more efficient while lowering your home’s energy cost.
7. Use Fans
Using ceiling and oscillating fans during the summer is a great way to make a space cooler and more pleasant without putting additional strain on your HVAC unit. Although these fans still require energy, they don’t consume as much as traditional air conditioners. Pairing a few fans with an AC unit will keep your home comfortable without having to lower your thermostat’s setting.
When using fans with air conditioners, lower your thermostat by four degrees to increase your savings. The additional cooling from the fan should make up for the temperature increase, keeping you cool while saving energy.
8. Limit Heat-Producing Appliance Use
Some household appliances like dryers and ovens can dramatically increase your home’s indoor temperature. The enhanced temperature will kick your air conditioner into high-gear, causing it to work harder to cool your home. Limiting your use of these appliances will help you keep your electric bills affordable, preventing heat from filling your home.
Instead of cooking inside, try to use outdoor grills more often during the summer. It will help your home maintain your desired indoor climate while giving you an excuse to host more barbeques.
Hanging your wet clothes outside to dry instead of using your dryer will also reduce your home’s energy consumption, making your bills more affordable.
9. Upgrade Your Heating and Cooling System
Most HVAC units lose efficiency once they hit ten years old. Although they likely won’t give out entirely for another few years, the reduced efficiency requires them to work harder to maintain your indoor climate, enhancing your energy payments. Upgrading to a new and improved HVAC system will make it easier to keep your desired interior climate while lowering your electric bills.
Contact Complete Comfort Heating, A/C & Plumbing Repair for Unmatched HVAC Services in Greenwood, IN
If you want to learn how to lower your energy bills this summer, contact Complete Comfort Heating, A/C & Plumbing Repair. We offer everything from air conditioning replacement to regular HVAC maintenance and will help make your cooling system more energy efficient at a price that won’t stress your budget.
Give Complete Comfort Heating, A/C & Plumbing Repair a call at (317) 648-5133 and schedule your appointment in Greenwood, IN, today!