Tips To Keep Your Home Cool This Summer
Summer will soon be upon us – but while the temperature is rising, your cooling costs don’t have to! For the average American household, almost half of the annual energy bill goes towards heating and cooling – approximately $900 a year. Therefore, finding ways to efficiently heat and cool your home are key to reducing energy usage and saving money year-round. If you’re looking to keep your home cool this Summer while reducing energy costs, check out these tips from the experts at ENERGY STAR®:
1. Stay on top of Maintenance
An easy way to keep your cooling systems working properly during the Summer is to make sure you regularly change your HVAC filters and schedule your annual maintenance. Be sure to check your filter monthly – especially during heavy use months. A dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep you cool, which wastes energy. Likewise, a clean filter will prevent dust and dirt from building up, which helps to reduce maintenance and repair costs. Aim to replace your filter when it’s dirty, or at least every three months, and be sure to regularly tune up your HVAC – similar to how you tune up your car.
2. Opt for Fans
Ceiling fans are great for moving the cool air around the room and creating a nice breeze in the summer. If you raise your thermostat by only two degrees and instead use your ceiling fan to cool, you can lower your air conditioning costs by up to 14%. Remember, ceiling fans cool you, not the room. So, turn them off when you leave the room. Need a new fan? ENERGY STAR certified ceiling fans with lights are 60% more efficient than standard fans with lights.
3. Keep the Heat Out!
To ensure the cool air inside your home isn’t escaping and making your system work harder, you’ll want to make sure you seal any air leaks around your home. Pay close attention to your attic and basement or crawl space, and look for any holes around your attic hatch, plumbing vent, chimney, or flue, and around heating or cooling ducts as these areas tend to experience the most losses. If you want to crack a window to let in some fresh air, set a time limit and aim to do it when it has less impact on your cooling system – like the early morning or nighttime when it’s cooler outside.
4. Upgrade Your Home Cooling
Efficient heating and cooling is part of an ENERGY STAR Home Upgrade, which is a set of high-impact energy efficiency home improvement projects that are designed to work together to deliver significant energy and cost savings. Upgrading your heating and cooling system to a super-efficient heat pump and using a smart thermostat to manage your home energy usage can have a significant impact on your heating and cooling costs. Learn more about clean heating and cooling with the ENERGY STAR Home Upgrade.
For more advice on how to save energy this summer, check out additional cooling tips from ENERGY STAR.
