Did last summer’s energy bills send you into sticker shock? Florida’s hot weather might mean that you have your AC running around the clock, and that, combined with other ways you consume energy, can quickly drain your budget. You already have good habits that help you save energy, but there may be some energy-saving tricks you haven’t considered before.
Maintain Your AC
Your air conditioning unit may seem like it’s working fine, but if it has been more than a year since the last time you got it serviced, it might be missing the mark when it comes to energy efficiency. When a trained technician comes to perform an annual service call, he or she will do things like check refrigerant levels, inspect for leaks, and check to make sure your thermostat is accurate.
Between maintenance calls, do things yourself to keep your AC in good shape. Clean the unit regularly and replace the filters when the manufacturer recommends it.
Get an Energy Audit
An energy audit involves a thorough inspection of your home. An expert will look at your doors, windows, and appliances and offer tailored suggestions on how you can save energy.
Buy a Halogen Oven
You can purchase a halogen oven for under $100, and it will quickly pay for itself in terms of energy saved. The halogen heating element is more efficient than what you’ll find in a regular electric oven — in some cases, it will use up to 75 percent less energy. Furthermore, halogen often makes for quicker cooking times so your kitchen won’t get any hotter than necessary during those muggy summer days.
Load Your Fridge and Your Freezer
Earth911 explains, when you open the door to your fridge or freezer, warm air from your kitchen comes in and replaces some of the cool air inside. Your fridge now needs to use more energy to maintain temperature. So, the more empty space you have, the more warm air will enter your fridge, and the more energy your fridge will use.
This does not mean that you should stuff your fridge with food you don’t plan on eating. Instead, why not include some extra bottles of water or other refreshing drinks that you know your family will consume? Your freezer can be more tightly packed than your fridge; the frozen items will help keep everything cold.
Do Some Landscaping
If you have space to plant some trees and shrubs around your home, you can save energy by sprucing up your outdoors. Trees can provide shade and help reduce sunlight that heats through your windows. Getting the most out of your landscaping takes planning. You have to note how sunlight hits your home and place plants so they reach their cooling potential. A landscape architect will be able to help you with this.
Be Smart With Your Water
There is nothing quite as invigorating as a shower after a long, hot day. However, your showers could be costing you a lot in terms of energy. By replacing your showerheads and faucets with energy-efficient, low-flow ones, you’ll use less water, meaning your water heater will not have to work as hard to get your H2O to the right temperature.
Buy a Smart Thermostat
A programmable thermostat can make sure your AC isn’t running when you don’t need it to. Set the thermostat to work around your daily routine so you won’t end up consuming extra energy if you accidentally forget to turn off your AC. A Wi-Fi thermostat will let you remotely adjust the settings so you can delay temperature adjustments if you are going to arrive home later than usual.
Are you ready to purchase a new thermostat or get your AC back to its maximum efficiency? The pros at Climatic Conditioning Co., Inc. are eager to help! Give us a call today at (941) 758-3080.
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