Did you know that, according to the green living website Carbon Rally, the average American homeowner spends $280 a year for home air conditioning service? If you live in areas with more extreme temperatures, whether in the deserts of the American South or the arctic tundras of the Northeast, chances are that number is a lot higher for you and your family.
If you’re tired of spending so much money to keep your home comfortable each year, take heart. There are a number of simple changes you can make to your home that will have an immediate impact on how much of your hard-earned cash you have to put aside to run your home air conditioning systems each year.
Three of the Simplest Ways to Reduce the Cost of Running Home Air Conditioning Systems
- Do a Little Landscaping
- Install a Programmable Thermostat
- Have Heating and Cooling Services Perform Regular Maintenance
As Bank Rate writes, many homeowners find that they can successfully reduce the bill for their heating and cooling systems by doing a little landscaping around their homes. By planting shade trees, for instance, they help block sunlight from coming into their homes. Naturally, this means having to cool your home less in the warm months. Doing a little interior landscaping can likewise help keep your home warmer during the winter, without having to turn on your heating and cooling system. Plants produce humidity that readily traps heat, after all.
If you really want to cut back on your air conditioning spending, install a programmable thermostat. By installing a programmable thermostat that turns off when you leave for work and turns on when you come home, you can avoid having to run your A/C all day just to keep your house comfortable. Better yet, Good Housekeeping points out that if you can find a smart thermostat, you can control your heating and cooling system from your phone or tablet, giving you even greater control over your spending.
For About.com’s Money, few things will help reduce your air conditioning bills quite like having your local repair service stop by for regular maintenance. Just like any other machine, the more you run your air conditioning system, the less energy efficient it becomes. Air conditioning repair services can clean out the ducts, tune up your heating and cooling system, and reduce the chances of you needing to have your unit repaired, all while reducing your annual operating costs.
What are some of the tricks you use to reduce the costs of running home air conditioning systems? Share your tips with us in the comments below. Good references here.
