Your air conditioning system works hard to keep you cool. As one of the most consequential machines in the average home, your air conditioner is likely a large contributor to your electricity bills. So in the heat of summer, what can you do to keep your power usage to a minimum?
Should You Turn Off Your AC When You Leave The House?
Just like turning the lights off when you leave the room, many people wonder if turning the air conditioner off when they leave the house will conserve power. After all, it can’t use up energy if it isn’t running, and is it really necessary to be cooling an empty house?
For most homes and apartments, the difference between the energy used to run your AC all day and the energy used to restart your AC and recalibrate your target temperature is miniscule. However, if you prefer to keep your home significantly colder than the outside temperature, turning the AC off during the day can actually cost you more money as the AC works harder to compensate for the time the rooms spent warming up.
Instead Of Turning The AC Completely Off, Try This:
Setting your thermostat to a higher temperature:
When your thermostat is set to even just a few degrees above your target temperature, your house’s temperature will remain regulated without working too hard. When you get home, you can change the temperature back to your preferred level, and your air conditioner will only have to course-correct those few degrees rather than bringing the temperature down significantly.
Programmable Thermostat
Having a thermostat that you can program to automatically adjust the temperature of your home based on your schedule will do wonders for your energy usage. Superior AC & Heat can connect you with the right thermostat for your home- contact us today to find out more!
Turn on your ceiling fan:
Your ceiling fan uses significantly less power than your AC unit, so keeping your ceiling fan running throughout the day will keep that air circulating and feeling refreshing. Turning your fan on high when you leave the house can help pick up the slack if you move the temperature up a few degrees.
Stay hydrated and choose appropriate clothes:
When you leave the house, staying as cool as possible will mean you won’t need immediate relief from the heat quite as desperately when you return home. Make sure you drink enough water throughout the day- the colder the better, to cool you from the inside out!- and wear loose, airy clothing will keep you cooler when you’re out and about. This will keep you from needing your interior temperature to cool you down quite so quickly when you return home.
What About Vacations?
When you plan to leave your home for multiple days, your home will likely create a higher bill if it is left with a running AC than it would if the unit was turned off. However, living in a hot area such as Texas means that a good portion of the year will bring with it some intense heat, which will radiate through your home’s windows and prevent it from completely cooling down at night. Just keep in mind that the interior temperature will be very high when you return if your trip is planned during the summer, and understand that it might take a little extra time and energy to get things back to the way they were.
Call Superior AC & Heat For Help!
Superior AC & Heat is DFW’s top air conditioning experts. Try out our suggestions, and if your AC usage is still higher than you wish, call us for some hands-on assistance. You just might need some maintenance or repairs done. If you have any questions regarding your AC unit and how to take advantage of its efficiency, give us a call to discuss your options with us. If you need a new AC unit, or perhaps repairs done on an existing unit, we’ve got you covered.
