Tag Archives: AC

3 Energy-Saving Practices When Air Conditioning Is A Must

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The summer season offers a plethora of fun and exciting activities. It’s the perfect time to soak up the warm weather, have backyard cookouts with family, head to the beach, or host a pool party at home.

While these are things to look forward to, some people choose to stay at home to avoid the scorching heat outside. This can be true, especially for people living in tropical regions. In turn, this would compel them to stay at home and turn on their air conditioners (AC) to cool their interiors and boost comfort.

Energy-Saving Practices When Air Conditioning

Practical Ways To Save On Energy Costs

Regardless of any setting, air conditioning units continue to be one of the biggest energy consumers. Running your cooling system nearly every day can result in increased electricity bills. Gladly, there’s an array of ways that you can do to reduce your worry about your inflating expenses. To help you save on energy costs while still enjoying the benefits of a functional air conditioning unit, consider seeking the expertise of a professional like Alan Bowman at Newcastle Air Conditioning who can provide valuable advice on how to optimize your AC system’s performance and efficiency.

If you own a few residential spaces, commercial air filtration systems can unclog dirty air filters that take nearly half of your average monthly bills. With this, you can save money in the long haul and ensure your AC systems’ efficiency while keeping your premises smelling fresh and pleasant.

Apart from cleaning your air filters, below are other simple energy-saving practices to stay within your budget during the summer months. Whether you’re a homemaker or a business owner, these strategies will certainly help you cut down costs without compromising comfort.

1. Minimize Or Reschedule Heat-Producing Activities

The humidity level outside can affect and increase the temperature inside your home, resulting in extra heat. While it can be easy to force your air conditioning systems to work harder, consider minimizing heat-producing activities inside.

Instead of cooking on the stovetop or oven in the kitchen, opt to microwave your food outside. Upon creating your weekly meal plans, try no-cook dishes. From fresh salads to hummus bowls, there are plenty of easy recipes online, which can add variety to your meals. Also, since the summer months are the perfect time for outdoor cookouts, use this time to grill your food.

stainless-steel-kitchen

Alternatively, you can reschedule doing your typical household chores. For instance, opt to iron your clothes during the evening, in the wee hours of the morning, or when the temperatures have dropped. Likewise, do your laundry, run your dryer, and use your dishwasher during the same off-peak, cooler hours. These small changes can significantly help you control the heat buildup inside and avoid overworking your air conditioners during the day.

2. Use Your Fans

Electric fans consume less energy compared to air conditioning systems. Considering this, use your fans to get the most out of the cool air from your AC appliance. Start by switching them on to push the hot air out, then turn your air conditioning unit on to enjoy a wind-chill effect.

When placed strategically, your desk or ceiling fan can efficiently regulate the temperatures in your living areas and allow the breeze to move through. In this way, you can keep your home and workspaces cool without having to push your AC to overwork.

However, make sure to switch off your fans when you’re not using them to cut down your energy bill. Alternatively, invest in energy-efficient fans that are equipped with sensors. These smart appliances can detect if there’s a need to boost the cool air in your space. When the area is adequately cold, it automatically turns off. Apart from saving money, these high-tech appliances can contribute to sustainability.

Moreover, these innovations can also be useful in businesses. Well-ventilated workspaces could improve employee well-being, boost productivity, and even increase client morale.

3. Seal Your Doors And Windows

Another easy energy-saving practice you can start today is to seal the gaps in your windows, add caulk around the cracks in your doors, and shut them tightly so the cold air won’t leave your living areas.

The sun’s heat can compel your AC system to work harder to regulate the temperatures inside. Hence, as you turn on your AC, make sure to pull down your drapes and close your blinds to block outside heat from entering your spaces. Savvy management of your window treatments can decrease the load on your air conditioning units, which in turn, helps you save electricity.

clogged filter of AC

These practices might seem simple, but doing these activities can keep your areas adequately cool, especially during the hottest part of the day.

Summing It Up

By cleaning your air filters, rescheduling your household chores, placing your fan strategically, and closing the gaps in your windows, you can keep your areas well-ventilated and comfortable. When you need to crank up your AC, these minor lifestyle adjustments can certainly help you cut down your energy bills.

4 Ways To Pay Your Electricity Bill Effortlessly

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Utilities like water and power can end up costing nearly as much as your rent or house payment in a bad month. Unfortunately, you can’t cut off your water service to save money the way you could cut the cable. Here are a few tips to tame your utility bills and make it easier to pay your electricity bill with ease.

1. Clean Up

Cleaning the coils on your refrigerator helps it work more efficiently. Cleaning the coils on your air conditioner can do the same, but your AC uses far more power than your fridge. Remove any debris from the air intakes, whether it is leaving piles up by the AC or the air vent to your furnace. Rinse the air filters for your room air filters, the air conditioner, and your dehumidifier.

2. Turn It Off

While the appliances that are sleeping may use less energy than when on, the reality is that they use almost as much power in standby as they do when active. The solution is to turn things off. Unless your game station is downloading updates, unplug it to save power. Turn off the TV instead of letting it sit in standby, or worse, use it as background noise.

When gadgets are fully charged, disconnect them from the charging station and turn off the charging station. If you can’t stand to turn off your computer, turn off the monitor instead. Turn off lights when they aren’t in use, and consider when you can utilize natural light instead. Don’t let appliances idly run while you’re busy. Get the clothes out of the dryer instead of letting it run every five minutes to prevent clothes from wrinkling.

Turn off the oven when you’re done with it. The same might be said for your pool pump or air filters. Does it need to be running? If not, consider turning it off for a while. Always aim to improve your habits and to acquire energy-saver appliances. Also, consider that you are still allowed to hire a better energy provider in case the current one is not the best fit regarding your lifestyle. For instance, there are plenty of options when it comes to the most suitable electric companies in dallas.

3. Track Energy Usage

You can get apps that report energy usage in your home. These apps can tap into your smart meter and tell you which appliances are consuming the most energy. If you can’t cut back on energy usage, you could get advice on how to shift energy usage in order to reduce your electric bill.

For example, running the clothes dryer at night may allow you to get utility discounts. One of the advantages of hydroelectric energy is that despite facing daily and seasonal variations, utility companies will still provide discounts when the demand for power is lower.

Set up the dishwasher to run a heavy load when you go to bed, and the cost per kilowatt maybe a third of what you’d pay if it ran during the day. You may also find that the AC is running heavily during the hottest part of the day.

Could you alter the thermal profile of your home so that it uses less energy while keeping you comfortable, such as not trying to keep the house at 65 when you’re at work? If you cannot get the house comfortable without the AC running full blast all the time, you may need to have the air conditioner repaired or replaced with a more powerful unit.

4. Check for Leaks

If you’ve ever heard the joke that you’re not heating the neighborhood, recognize that there is an element of truth to that joke. When you leave the door open while you’re bringing in groceries or getting the mail, you’re wasting the energy used to heat or cool that air. Gaps in your window frame and window stripping cost you the same way.

Leaks in your hot water heater waste both water and the energy used to heat it. Look for water leaks when you suspect them, too. Not only does this damage the structure of your home and wastewater, but damp insulation has a fraction of the thermal value of dry insulation. This is how a water leak could be contributing to your higher energy bills.

There are a number of things you can do to reduce your energy bills and water bills without radically changing your lifestyle. Then you’ll be able to save the Earth’s resources and money at the same time. It is truly a win-win for everyone.