5 Tips to Reduce Your Home’s Cooling Costs This Summer
It’s the aim of every homeowner to keep their cooling costs down in hotter seasons in order to save some money. Read on to see how you can reduce your home’s cooling costs this summer and potentially reduce a sizable amount of your cooling expenditure.
Keep the Doors and Windows Closed
To maximize your home HVAC cooling abilities and avoid having to crank it up, keep your doors and windows closed while the AC is running and everyone is indoors. This will keep the treated air indoors and allow everyone indoors to stay cool. Open the doors as infrequently as possible and only when necessary so you don’t have to overwork your AC just to stay cool.
Get a New Roof
If you’ve had your current roof for a long time and seem to be repairing it more often than not, you should think of replacing it altogether. If you do this, look for sustainable materials to use for your new roof, such as Energy Star shingles. These can help you reduce your cooling costs by an amazing 20% and enjoy paying lower bills. Do this in the summer when the weather’s conducive for such home improvements and you will enjoy an amazing home through all other seasons.
Cook Outside
As often as possible, do your cooking outside in the summer. This will keep the temperatures indoors lower, and, because you can also eat outdoors, you will need to use your air conditioner even less during the day. Whenever you have a party to host, it’s the perfect opportunity to take the festivities outside and have everyone take part in meal preparation and socialization outside. If you can afford to do so, construct an outdoor kitchen so you can cook more often and more easily outside the house. This will provide you with a permanent setup that will enable you to enjoy the outdoors whenever the weather allows it.
Service Your Home HVAC
An HVAC unit that’s serviced well will operate optimally, saving you some money on energy use. Regular servicing will also allow you to stay within the warranty stipulations of your unit’s manufacturer, getting repairs done under the warranty in case any become necessary. Apart from all of this, you will ensure that major breakdowns of your system are less likely to happen, and these could cost you a tidy sum to fix. At the very least, ensure that you change the filters with every change of the season so you can start off on the right foot and give your unit the best chance to operate well.
Replace Your Old Air Conditioner
If your current air conditioner has reached the end of its lifespan, it may be better to replace it altogether than to fix it. This is because you may end up having to make many small fixes over time that will add up and make it a wiser financial call to simply get a new one. Just like the roof, of which 23% of homeowners say they’ve never inspected or maintained, sometimes it may be better to do away with it and get a brand new one. In this case, shop for a modern one that will provide you with efficient service while saving you energy and remaining sustainable for long-term use. You will have gotten a new slate to start on, so ensure to service it regularly as per the manufacturer’s instructions so you can extend its life to the maximum.
With these tips, you can effectively reduce your home’s cooling costs this summer and other summers to come. You will also have a smaller effect on the environment with most of the actions outlined above, making them completely worth your while.
