13 Air Conditioning Efficiency Tips for Homeowners

You may very well not think twice about cranking up the air conditioning when it’s scorching hot outside—until you see your energy bill. Air conditioning accounts for about 12% of the typical U.S. home’s annual energy expenditures and up to 70% of your utility costs during the summer. If you’re sick of paying too much for air conditioning, follow these 13 tips to improve AC efficiency and save money on your monthly bills. 

1. Prioritize routine maintenance: Dirt and debris build up in your air conditioner over time, lowering efficiency. Plan annual maintenance to have a specialist clean your unit’s coils, replace the filter, tighten electrical connections, lubricate moving elements and more. An annual inspection also enables your technician to discover and fix any potential issues before they become severe problems. 
2. Keep the outdoor unit free of obstructions: Loose trash and nearby flowers growing around your air conditioner can minimize airflow and make the system work harder. Examine the unit throughout the summer, pruning back vegetation and cleaning up debris as needed to keep your cooling system working correctly. 
3. Install a programmable thermostat: A programmable thermostat permits you to set automatic temperatures based on your schedule. In the warm months, program a higher temperature when you’re away from home and have it resume a comfortable temperature before you get back. This reduces energy consumption and saves money without sacrificing comfort. 
4. Stay away from overriding programmed settings: While you could manually change the temperature on your programmable thermostat, try turning on a fan or shedding a layer of clothes before you change the setting. When you want to change the temperature, do so by just a degree or two. Cranking down the temperature will never cool your home any faster and only serves to needlessly consume electricity. 
5. Use the auto fan setting: While fan-only mode circulates air to keep rooms from becoming stuffy, HVAC professionals recommend using this setting sparingly. “Auto fan” is the more efficient setting because the blower only runs when the rest of the AC does, preventing unnecessary power waste. 
6. Block solar heat gain: Closing blinds and curtains, putting in outside awnings and applying window film helps block the sun’s heat to keep your home cooler. These strategies are most useful on south- and west-facing windows where the sun shines straight inside the house. 
7. Install the outdoor unit in the shade: Direct sunlight makes your system to work harder and decreases efficiency. So if feasible, position the condensing unit so it’s in the shade in the afternoon.  
8. Keep your air vents open: It’s a often-held misconception that closing the vents in unused rooms conserves energy. Unfortunately, this throws off the supply and return air equilibrium, making your AC less efficient. As a rule, keep at least 80% of your registers open all of the time and ensure that no vents are blocked by rugs, curtains or furniture. 
9. Use ceiling fans along with your air conditioner: Ceiling fans distribute air throughout the room, creating a wind chill effect that makes you feel about 4 degrees cooler. This might allow you to increase the temperature a few degrees without feeling unpleasant, reducing your dependence on the air conditioner and bringing down your bills. 
10. Use a dehumidifier: High humidity causes a “cool but clammy” feeling, which is an uncomfortable sensation that may compel you to frequently lower the temperature. Actually, you need less humidity, rather than cooler air. Running a whole-house dehumidifier takes away unwanted moisture, making your home feel more comfortable for a fraction of the cost of air conditioning. 
11. Use natural ventilation carefully: When it’s hot and humid outside, keep your windows and doors closed to restrict cool air from getting out. If you reside in somewhere with cool summer evenings, open the windows and doors at night to cool off the house naturally, reducing the strain on your air conditioner. 
12. Seal air leaks: Leaky windows and doors give access to hot summer air inside of the house even when closed, making it much harder and more expensive to keep things cool. Seal leaks with caulk and weatherstripping to keep conditioned air in the house where it is supposed to be.  
13. Seal duct leaks: An average home loses 20% or more of the conditioned air flowing through it to leaks, holes and badly connected ducts. Hire a professional to seal your ductwork and put a stop to this energy waste. 

If you still have comfort issues or extreme energy costs after implementing these tips, turn to Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning for help. We will diagnose and repair air conditioning concerns, provide preventative maintenance, or replace your outdated, poorly performing system with a newer, high-efficiency model. For your ease of mind, we stand behind every single thing we do with a one-year 100% satisfaction guarantee! Get in touch with a Service Experts office near you today to learn more or request air conditioning services in the U.S..