Air conditioners are often expensive when running for the summer.
Summer heat leads to the use of air conditioning, or AC, units. The use of the units requires electricity and when the units are used on a regular basis the electric bill can add up. When using more than one AC unit, the power bill typically doubles. It is possible, even when using two AC units, to keep the power bills down to reasonable rates. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Replace any old AC units. Older AC units use more energy than newer units. New units also have energy efficient models available that can reduce energy use even more. The initial cost of replacing the AC unit is offset by the lowered costs of the energy. According to Michael Bluejay, the newer models can save as much as 50 percent on energy.
2. Turn the AC units off when not at home. Keeping the AC on while at work or out of the house not only increases the energy costs, but it can raise it exponentially. Michael Bluejay explains that the cool house attracts heat, so keeping the AC units on while out of the house can increase energy use more than expected. It is a myth that keeping it cool throughout the day eliminates heat and lowers bills. Green Energy Efficient Homes suggests turning off the air conditioning units ten minutes to half an hour before leaving the house, even for short errands.
3. Put in fans. Fans circulate the air, making a room feel cooler without the use of the AC unit. By putting in fans and turning on the fans throughout the day, the house feels cooler so the units stay off more. Turn on the fans and minimize AC use.
4. Set the timer on the air conditioning units if there is one. Timers are used to automatically shut off the air conditioner after a specified time, such as half an hour. This allows cooling without using too much energy. If there is no timer, turn the unit off after a specific time.
5. Set the units to comfortable temperatures that are warm rather than cold. Green Energy Efficient Homes suggests keeping the temperature between 73 degrees and 79 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tags: conditioning units, Efficient Homes, Efficient Homes suggests, Energy Efficient, Energy Efficient Homes, Green Energy
