Ways to Reduce Cooling Costs This Summer

As the dog days of summer arrives in the Pacific Northwest, it’s easy to take proactive measures to slash your cooling bill. Whether you rent or own, our team here at Ronk Brothers provides low- and no-cost tips to ensure you won’t experience a high-priced energy burn this summer.

1. Use a ceiling fan or other circulating fan

It can make you feel six or seven degrees cooler via the wind-chill effect: A fan doesn’t cool a room, it just makes it more comfortable to be in. Just remember to turn off the fan when no one’s enjoying it, otherwise, you waste electricity. If you also if your home has an air conditioning system, a ceiling fan helps disperse cooled air more efficiently and allows you to raise its thermostat by as much as four degrees, with little or no discomfort.

2. Run your AC more economically

“Setting your AC as high as is comfortably possible and using a programmable or smart thermostat to increase the temperature when you’re out, or asleep, could easily decrease your summer cooling bill by 10%. Remember: The smaller the difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures throughout the summer season, the less you’ll spend. Set your AC’s thermostat to 78ºF instead of 72ºF (if you don’t mind some heat) and you could lop as much as 18% off your summer cooling costs. Coming into a hot house? Turning the AC to a colder-than-normal setting won’t cool rooms any faster. You’ll probably forget you turned it down in the first place, resulting in pointless spending.

3. Maintain cooling systems

It’s not enough to use an energy-efficient AC and install a programmable thermostat. If you don’t properly care for your equipment, it won’t reduce your cooling costs. Dirty AC filters block airflow and make units work harder to cool your home. Cleaning and/or replacing filters once per month will lower an AC’s energy consumption by 5% to 15%. If you have a central cooling system, such as a heat pump, be sure that floor registers aren’t blocked with dust—or furniture. A unit’s evaporator and condenser coils (located outside) should also be clear of dirt and other debris (fallen leaves, branches, grass). And clip foliage so that it always remains at least 2 feet from the condenser.

4. Avoid heat buildup during the day

Whenever the outdoor temperature exceeds the temperature inside your home, try to eschew activities that generate a lot of heat, such as cooking on the stovetop and using the dishwasher or clothes dryer. Instead, Kielich suggests microwaving food or grilling it outside, washing dishes by hand or, try to save these activities until after dark when temperatures have dropped and you get a better rate on your electric bill. If you get a shower during the heat of the day, always use the bathroom exhaust fan to spot-ventilate and remove excess heat and humidity.

5. Close curtains, blinds, and shades

Whatever your treatments, you’ll see significant savings if you work to prevent solar heat gain by keeping them drawn all day. When completely closed and lowered on a sunny window, highly reflective blinds can reduce heat gain by around 45%. Try to use light-colored treatments: The lighter the hue, the more they’ll deflect the sun’s scorching rays. Hang shades as close to windowpanes as possible, as this enables them to also block outdoor heat from radiating inside.

Consider insulated and/or reflective shades, which will also save you money come heating season.

6. Schedule Routine Maintenance

There are certainly several advantages to having a Ronk Brothers Heating and Cooling expert come out to your home to service your home comfort system this summer, especially if you’ve done all of the above and are still facing an uncomfortable home or high energy bills. A professional is able to disassemble your unit and check all the inner components, like the drain and condenser fan. Proper maintenance will not only help keep your heating and cooling system performing at top-rate efficiency, but it will also help you spot little problems that can turn into expensive repairs.