In summer, air conditioning can dominate an electricity bill, sometimes more than half of it during a heat wave. You do not have to swelter to spend less, though. A handful of low-tech habits keep a home noticeably cooler, so the AC runs less and shorter. Stack a few together and you stay comfortable while the meter slows down.
Block the Sun Before It Gets In
The cheapest cooling is the heat you never let inside. Sunlight pouring through windows can heat a room like a greenhouse.
- Close blinds and curtains on the sunny side of the house during the day.
- Use light-colored or reflective shades on west- and south-facing windows.
- Plant or shade outside where you can, since stopping sun before it hits the glass works best.
Move the Air
Fans do not lower the temperature, but moving air makes you feel several degrees cooler, which lets you raise the thermostat. A ceiling fan set to spin counterclockwise in summer pushes a cooling breeze down. Turn fans off in empty rooms, though, since they cool people, not spaces.
Cool Down at Night
If your evenings drop below the daytime high, open windows after sunset to flush out the heat, then close everything up in the morning to trap the cool air. A box fan in a window pulling cooler night air in works wonders.
Make the AC Work Less
When you do run the air conditioner, set it as high as is still comfortable, every degree lower costs more. Keep the filter clean so it runs efficiently, and avoid heat-making activities like running the oven during the hottest part of the day. Cook outside or use the microwave instead.
None of this means giving up cool comfort. It means keeping heat out, moving air around, and letting the cool night in, so the air conditioner does far less of the work and your summer bill drops with it.