Better Ways to Cool Your Home
We’re headed into mid-summer and the temperatures are rising. No homeowner wants to pay higher electric bills that usually comes with summer months. Even though the temperatures are mild for Orange County, California, homeowners still want to have an energy efficient air conditioner.
Not just during the summer months, but homeowners across the country are continuously looking for energy efficient tips to help with their energy bills. Not just electricity either, we want help to minimize our natural gas and water bills too. It’s an ongoing mission.
While having an energy efficient air conditioner is on obvious way to save on energy cost, how do you know you’re getting the best energy efficient air conditioner? Homeowners that start shopping for an energy efficient air conditioner often will ask the salesperson, “Which air conditioner is most energy efficient?” All the manufacturers will tell you theirs are, but truly, which is the most energy efficient air conditioner and how do you know?
Experts in air conditioning will tell you that the models and units that are the most energy efficient are ENERGY STAR® compliant. Manufacturers must meet standards that are above the basic standards to receive this certification as an energy efficient air conditioner unit with criteria like:
- minimum ten percent more efficient than government standard requirements
- made with better materials and parts that are more efficient for energy use
- superior performance for consumers
- provide consumers reduced energy costs for recouping their upfront expense
- eco or energy-saving mode, filter cleaning reminders
How do you reduce energy consumption?
We don’t realize that some of the smallest electronics we use can be energy eating item. Here are five simple ways to reduce the daily energy consumption in your home:
1. Turn off computers
This is especially helpful in commercial buildings, but an excellent practice at home. Turn the computer and this includes the monitor. The screensaver mode isn’t an energy saving mode. Will shutting down your computer shorten the lifespan? Absolutely not, with today’s computers and the EnergyStar requirements, all is good to power down!
2. Choose lighting that is right
The most energy efficient light bulbs are the LED bulbs, which use three-fourths the energy that standard lightbulbs do. They have a longer lifespan too because they do not have any mercury.
3. Idle electronics should be unplugged
The refrigerator has to stay plugged in, so your food doesn’t ruin, but the microwave, printers, scanners, and televisions don’t. Even if they go into standby power, they are using electricity. If a charger or cord feels warm, then it has been pulling in electricity. If you’re not using it, unplug it. Idle electronics across the country use the amount of power of twelve power plants.
4. Decrease the energy loads with power strips
You’re probably thinking, “what a pain that will be to go around unplugging 20 different electronics every day, then plug them back in!”. Using power strips will enable you to turn off several items at once by simply flipping the power strip switch. Kill that energy vampire with one switch at a time!
5. Lights Off!
Are you leaving the room for more than 5 minutes? Turn the light off!
Is it cheaper to run your AC all day?
When the temperatures will be hot, it is less expensive to live your air conditioner on during the day, even if you’re not hope. However, it shouldn’t be left at full blast and cold the whole time. This isn’t only to be energy efficient or cost effective. It can wear your unit out faster and you’ll be having repair cost or replacement cost sooner.
At what temperature AC consumes less power?
To maintain an ideal setting for the air conditioner, set the thermostat at 25 degrees cooler than the expected high for the day. Each 22 degree drop uses as much as four percent less power.
What are 7 ways that you can reduce yfour own personal consumption of energy?
We listed five things you can do to reduce energy consumption earlier, but there are more things you can do. The following is a list of energy efficient tips that you can implement in addition to purchasing energy efficient air conditioner, because not all energy efficiency is electrical. Look:
1. Energy Efficiency the Refrigerator
Setting the temperature at 37 degrees will lessen how much energy this appliance uses. Make sure all the gaskets around the freezer and fridge door are sealing too.
2. Switch on Fluorescent Bulbs
CF (compact fluorescent) bulbs use just one-fifth of the incandescent light bulbs and they have a longer lifespan up to six times.
3. Automatic or Timed Light Sensors
Outdoor lighting provides security, but you don’t need them on all the time isn’t necessary though. Have a professional electrician install automatic and timed sensors for all your outdoor lighting so they only come on at dusk and turn off at dawn.
4. Solar-Powered Lighting
Nothing says welcome more than a walkway lit up, or flowerbeds with soft lighting shining on your home’s architecture. Having all those lights burning when you don’t need them is a waste of energy. Switch out all the landscape lighting with solar-powered lights and let the sun power them!
5. Buy Appliances with EnergyStar Rating
As we mentioned above when buying energy efficient air conditioner, the EnergyStar standards indicate you will get a money saving air conditioner. The same is to be said about all appliances and electronics. These all cost more to purchase, but to be in line with the EnergyStar guidelines, the appliances have to be guaranteed to have a lower operating cost.
6. Insulation Is the Big Winner
If your home has electric heat, the more insulation you can have in the attic, basement, and walls, the more you’ll mitigate the energy loss and reduce your home’s electricity consumption during the winter. During the summer, it does just the opposite and keeps the cool air in and the heat out. Insulating your home will help keep that cool air from your new energy efficient air conditioner inside where it belongs!
7. Insulate the Water Lines and Water Heater
Wrap your electric water heater with an insulation jacket will reduce how much electricity it uses and wrap the hot water lines will keep the water hot from the water heater to the faucet.
Closing Words on This Topic
Other things you can do in addition to buying an energy efficient air conditioner and following the tips we’ve discussed here is installing energy efficient windows. Windows that are more than 10 years old are letting a lot of the energy efficient air conditioner cold air out during the summer and a lot of cold air in during the winter.
Not only will upgrading to energy efficient windows save you money with the cooling and heating bills, but you’ll get tax credit too. If you can’t afford new windows, weatherstripping is inexpensive and mitigate the lost cooled or heated air by preventing cold or hot air drafts.