Summer weather in the Twin Cities means higher electric bills as your A/C system works hard to keep the heat and humidity at bay. However, with a few simple changes in the way you manage your indoor environment over the summer, you can beat the heat without busting the budget. Here are some tips that can help you keep your summer energy bills within reason this year:
Seasonal A/C service – Professional inspection and maintenance, done annually, helps ensure that your air conditioning system is running at peak efficiency, minimizing energy costs.
Use a programmable thermostat – Using a programmable thermostat to ensure that your A/C system isn’t working hard when you aren’t home to enjoy it can produce significant savings on your summer energy bills.
Check those air filters – It may seem like a small thing, but keeping your system’s air filter clean is important to both A/C efficiency and performance. Poor airflow from a dirty air filter will make your A/C work harder than it should, using more energy, so check that filter every 30 days.
Adjust your appliance usage for the season – Lowering heat gain in your home will save on those summer energy bills. Cook outside on the grill as often as possible and avoid baking during the hottest times of the day. Use a clothesline to dry your laundry when weather permits to avoid adding heat to the home with a clothes dryer.
Reduce solar heat gain – Installing shades, blinds or awnings on windows that are exposed to direct sun during the day can make a big difference in those summer energy bills, reducing the heat that enters your home during the day by as much as 20 percent.
Use ceiling fans – Running a fan can make a room feel up to three or four degrees cooler than air conditioning alone, allowing you to raise the temperature setting in your home without compromising comfort.
For more tips on minimizing your summer energy bills, please contact us at Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning. We’ve been serving the home comfort needs of customers in the Twin Cities metro area since 1974.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about energy bills and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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