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Here are some tips to minimize your cooling costs and increase cooling efficiency
- Close drapes to keep out the hot daytime sun, especially on south and west-facing windows. Sunny windows make air conditioners work 2 to 3 times harder.
- Inspect your furnace filter once per month and change it as needed.
- Make sure air registers are not blocked by furniture, drapes, or other household items.
- Don't set your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling and, therefore, unnecessary expense.
- Consider using an interior fan in conjunction with your window air conditioner to spread the cooled air more effectively through your home without greatly increasing your power use.
- Don't place lamps, TV sets, or computers near your thermostat. The thermostat senses the heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
- Plant trees or shrubs to shade air-conditioning units but not to block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun.
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