5 Ways To Save Money On Air Conditioning

It's that time of year again where you fire up your trusty AC unit and dread seeing that bill!  As a new homeowner myself, I'm all about finding ways to save money on those dreaded energy bills. If you want to save some money on your air conditioning, there are a couple things, first and foremost, that you should know.

I know this sounds crazy, but stop setting the thermostat on your AC so low.  Every degree increases your bill by 3%. Researchers have found that if you set it a few degrees higher, your body gets used to it in a week or two....that's if you can stand the heat in that amount of time.

If you really want to save some money, here are five tips that can help you do just that when it comes to air conditioning:

1. Clean your air filter.  If you haven't cleaned the filter on your air conditioner since last year, it's costing you more than it should to run it.

2.  Make sure you're using all your fans.  They're way cheaper to run, so use them to circulate the cold air.  And set them to run counter-clockwise in the summer.

3.  Make sure you're not blocking air vents with furniture (common sense should tell you not to do that, but you never know with people nowadays).  Also, make sure your thermostat is in a good spot.  If the sun hits it or it's in a room that's warmer, the A/C will keep running even when the rest of your place is cool.

4.  Stop cooling down rooms you're not using.  If you have an extra bedroom, keep the door closed.  And if there's an air vent in there, keep that closed too.

5.  Keep your blinds and curtains closed.  Your air conditioner has to work a lot harder if the sun's blasting in through the windows.

(Time)