Have you heard the talk that the world is getting hotter?
(As if it’s not hot enough already in Florida!)
ServiceOne understands your concern about the rising temperatures that will jack up your utility costs. If your air conditioner has to work harder than ever before to keep you cool in this hot new world, your utility bills will spike.
Don’t despair.
ServiceOne has eight cool tips to save money on your air conditioning bills and decrease your stress level if you’re worried about soaring energy costs.
TIP NUMBER ONE: Smart Thermostats
You’ve heard of smart televisions and smartphones but did you know your thermostat can be smart, too?
Many “smart” programmable thermostats today can even be controlled from an app on your phone. If you’re delayed at the office, you can tell your thermostat not to start cooling the house yet. If you get to come home early, you can tell your thermostat to start up the air conditioner before you leave the office.
Those rising energy costs you’re worried about?
A programmable thermostat can save you up to 10% on your energy bills by automatically adjusting the temperature when you're not home or when you're sleeping.
ServiceOne has a variety of smart home thermostats that will save you money while keeping your home cool and comfortable. Ask us.
TIP NUMBER TWO: Close your curtains!
This is a low-tech approach, for sure, but guess what?
It’s just as smart as your tv, your phone, and your thermostat!
Close the curtains. Lower the shades. Shut the blinds. Save yourself some money.
Your air conditioner won’t have to work so hard if it doesn’t have so much heat coming in through the windows. An unbelievable 76% of the light that comes in through windows enters as heat.
When costs are soaring, every little bit of savings helps.
Energy experts believe that you save up to 7% on your energy bills by using blinds or curtains to block out the sun for 8 hours per day. That’s an average savings of $80 per year.
TIP NUMBER THREE: Turn on those ceiling fans
You may think that you don’t need ceiling fans if you’ve got a good air conditioning system, but you’d be wrong.
Ceiling fans are a fantastic addition to an air-conditioned home because they can work in tandem with your air conditioning, helping circulate the air and saving you money.
If you turn on a ceiling fan while the air conditioner is running, you can increase the temperature of the room by four degrees and not feel any different, and every degree you raise the thermostat is saving you money.
A 3-ton air conditioner costs $ .36 per hour to use, but a ceiling fan runs for 3 hours before it costs you a penny. Using the two together just makes good sense cents!
When you turn on your ceiling fans, you are also reducing the wear and tear on your air conditioner, extending its life.
TIP NUMBER FOUR: Seal air leaks
When was the last time you checked to see if your weather-stripping seals around the door are intact?
Have you checked lately to see if there are cracks around your windows?
Is there any air leaking out around your attic opening or your plumbing vent?
Even a small air leak can cause you to lose a lot of energy which means that your air conditioner must run longer to replace the lost air. The longer it runs, the more it costs.
Sealing air leaks can save you up to 20% on your energy bills by reducing the workload on your AC unit. For example, if you use weather stripping to seal leaks around your windows and doors, you can save up to $200 per year.
TIP NUMBER FIVE: Use “Zoned” cooling
Have you heard about the new ductless systems called “mini-splits”?
Mini-splits offer huge advantages for today’s homeowners. One of the greatest advantages is the ability to control where and when you’re running the air. Mini-splits can be turned on only when someone is using the room, saving a lot of energy because the unit doesn’t run when the room isn’t occupied. Some mini-splits even have motion sensors that automatically turn the air on when someone enters the room, so air conditioners can be smart, too!
It's not just ductless mini-split systems that provide “zone” cooling. Some central air systems also can adjust temperatures or turn off the air in certain rooms.
Using zone cooling can save you up to 30% on your energy bills by cooling only the areas that you're using. One study calculates you can save up to $400 per year by zoning.
TIP NUMBER SIX: Cook and eat “Alfresco” (Outside)
Cooking inside can increase the temperature of your home by up to 10 degrees, but when you cook and eat outside, or “alfresco,’ all that heat dissipates in the open air and not inside your kitchen. You’ll save money on the air conditioning because your unit won’t be working overtime to keep the cook cool!
That’s not all. Studies show that doing things outdoors reduces stress and anxiety while improving your outlook.
Cooking outside is a good thing!
You’ll be cooler, calmer, and have more money in your pocket because cooking outside can save you up to 30% on your energy bills, and in Florida, we can cook outside much of the year.
TIP NUMBER SEVEN: Cool heads. Cool Roofs. Really.
You’ve got to love progress. These days, even in the heat of summer, we can keep cool heads and cool roofs.
Have you heard of cool-roof technology?
Whether you’re replacing your roof or building a home, check out new building materials that reflect the sun’s light and heat.
Throughout the world, 90% of roofs are dark colors. Those dark-colored roofs absorb heat and light, sometimes increasing the temperature by more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit over the air temperature. Some roofs would get as hot as 190 degrees making it hard for your air conditioner to keep your home cool.
New technology in the building industry has created innovative construction materials that reflect the sun’s heat and light. When your roof is reflecting the heat back to the sun instead of absorbing it, your air conditioner doesn’t have to work as hard and requires less energy to keep your home comfortable.
If you’re replacing your roof or building a home, check out new building materials that reflect the sun’s light and heat.
TIP NUMBER EIGHT: Join ServiceOne’s ClubOne
Smart thermostats. Smart air conditioners. Smart homeowners.
Routine maintenance keeps your air conditioner in top working order, saving you energy and money.
Join ServiceOne’s ClubOne to get routine tune-ups on your air conditioning units twice a year PLUS a 15% discount on repairs, front-of-the-line service, and no overtime charges.
Call us today.