When the temperatures rise, usually, so do your electricity costs.
In fact, cooling typically accounts for about 20–50% of an average home's energy usage and a significant chunk of most businesses' operational costs.
Fortunately, there are ways to stay cool while saving money.
To that end, we’ve compiled this list of seven highly effective ways to lower your cooling costs and stay comfortable.
You can use these proactive tips and techniques to:
Your air conditioning unit needs regular care and maintenance to keep it working optimally.
One of the simplest ways to care for your AC unit and keep it running efficiently is by regularly cleaning and replacing the air filters.
Clogged-up air filters limit airflow and negatively impact your AC’s ability to cool your home or office. As a result, you end up running it for longer, thereby using more energy.
Cleaning and replacing old filters can reduce your AC's energy consumption by anywhere from 5 percent to 15 percent, making these simple tasks a no-brainer.
The rule of thumb is to replace the filters every two to three months or earlier if you:
In addition to cleaning and replacing air filters, ensure that you stay up to date with your annual check-up and maintenance by a professional. This is essential to keeping your AC unit running efficiently and extending its lifespan.
A licensed technician will:
Related: How to Fix a Bad Smelling Air Conditioner
Keep the heat out and stop cooled air from escaping by ensuring that your home or office is properly insulated and the windows sealed.
Check for any air leaks around doors and windows, and use caulking to seal any gaps that might be causing air exchange and inefficient cooling.
Additionally, inspect that your attic insulation is adequate, and replenish it if necessary.
Keep your windows and doors shut on extra hot days to create a tight seal to keep out the warm outdoor air. You can also use light-colored window treatments to reflect the sun's warm glare.
When cool night temperatures set in, cross-ventilate your home by opening the windows, but be sure to close them again come morning to seal in the cool air.
Expert Tip: If you’re planning a large-scale project that will involve the relocation of an exterior wall, use a high-quality insulating house wrap on the exterior walls before installing the siding to cool your home and reduce your energy bills.
This might seem counterintuitive given the objective is cooling; however, having your thermostat set a few degrees higher eases the stress on your AC unit, meaning it won't have to work as hard to maintain your desired temperature.
In other words, the smaller the difference between outdoor and indoor temperatures, the more cost-effective your cooling.
Experiment with your thermostat to find the highest temperature that still allows you to be comfortable. For example, if you usually have your thermostat set at 72?, try adjusting it to 75? for a few hours and see how it feels.
In fact, setting your thermostat 7–10? higher than your usual setting for 8 hours a day can cut your energy costs by up to 10% annually.
This technique especially works well during the night.
Like most people, you probably find it hard to fall asleep at night when it's uncomfortably warm; so you often end up lowering your thermostat temperatures at night.
However, because the ambient temperatures usually go down during the night, setting your thermostat a few degrees higher than you typically might will significantly reduce your cooling costs.
Another effective way to reduce cooling costs is via a smart thermostat.
Smart thermostats allow you to schedule temperature changes based on the time of day and will even adjust the level of cooling when you're away to save on energy.
Some smart thermostats even include geofencing technology, which can detect when you leave and adjust the AC settings to reduce power consumption. This can help reduce your cooling costs by up to 30%.
Additionally, smart thermostats can connect to your Wi-Fi network, making it possible to program them remotely through a mobile app or voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google.
Where you place your thermostat will greatly affect how efficiently your air conditioning works throughout the day and consequently, your monthly cooling bill.
Consider this: If you place your thermostat on a wall that receives a lot of heat from the window, it will get triggered more frequently than if you place it in a more shielded corner of your home or office.
Place your thermostat in an area where it won’t easily get influenced by the fluctuating outdoor temperatures and conditions. This way it’ll be able to better detect your indoor temperatures and provide the necessary amount of cooling based on a more representative ambient temperature reading.
Appliances such as your oven, cooktop, and laundry machine can produce heat that may trigger your thermostat, causing your AC to kick in more often during the day.
So, to improve cooling efficiency, limit the use of heat-generating appliances as much as you can during the day when it's hot. For instance, you can choose to use your grill and microwave instead of your cooktop.
Additionally, plan out your day such that you run the dryer and use the oven or other heat-generating appliances in the morning or evening, instead of during the hottest hours of the day.
Expert Tip: Air conditioning lowers humidity as it cools the air; therefore, you don't need to run a separate dehumidifier.
Ceiling fans are invaluable in helping to effectively circulate air around your home or office.
For the best efficiency at home, you can install and run your ceiling fans on the upper levels of your house and open the windows on the lower level.
You can also run the ceiling fans in reverse during the summer to direct cold air downward, helping to circulate it around the room.
As the sweltering heat beats down on us, effective cooling is essential to maintaining comfort in your home or office and for your overall well-being.
But to properly cool your space without breaking the bank, you'll need the right tools for the job; be it replacement parts for your AC unit or new insulation for your attic.
This is where Industrial Stores comes in.
|
Air Handling |
Condensers |
Humidifiers |
At Industrial Stores, we're an industry-leading provider of solutions for HVAC systems, refrigeration, heating, cooling, industrial supply, and most things in between.
Over the years, we've built a reputation for providing personalized care to our customers and helping them save time and money by providing parts for equipment across various applications and sectors.
" ... the motor end bell purchased [online] worked out great. I was able to do a self-install and couldn't be happier … "
– Ruben Marquez
We take pride in our ability to curate the best online stores for our customers, eliminating the need for multiple suppliers and comparative shopping. Not to mention, our prices are the best in the business, and our service is second to none.
So, if you’re in the market for tools, parts, and accessories to streamline your cooling, look no further than Industrial Stores.
Visit our online store for the best deals on cooling solutions and enjoy a comfortable and stress-free summer
Share on Facebook:
$ USD
CAD 
