There are a few ways to beat the heat and the cost of cooling things down during the hot summer months.
There is nothing better, as a homeowner than being able to shut down your heating systems after a long, expensive winter and feel the reprieve of the warm spring air rushing into your home. As anyone who pays utility bills knows, however, that relief is very short-lived in St. Louis.
If you are just about ready to turn your HVAC system from hot to cold, then you might be looking for ways to reduce your cooling costs throughout the summer months. There are a few ways to beat the heat and the cost of cooling things down during the summer months.
1. Replace your old air conditioner
Sometimes replacing an air conditioner is a hard pill to swallow. The good news is that gone are the days when you only had two options, either a window unit or a whole house air conditioner. Today there are many more to choose from.
If your air conditioner is not the right size, if you have renovated your house, or if your system isn’t functioning well, it might be time to bite the bullet and replace it with a more energy-efficient unit. The average yearly cost that you can save by upgrading to a more energy-efficient air conditioner, according to Energy Star, is about $115.
2. Upgrade your control
If you have a thermostat that you have to tend to manually, either by changing the temperature of the room by hand or by programming it, then it might be time to join the rest of the technologically advanced world.
New smart thermostats can be controlled manually by using your smartphone or mobile device. If you know you are running late or will be out, turn the thermostat up so that it isn’t cooling down people who aren’t there without being in your home.
3. Exert your energy-saving power with weather stripping
If you want to make sure that you can keep the cold air where it needs to be and the hot air outside, then weather stripping might be your new best friend.
Although most commonly thought of in the winter time when things are frigid, addressing leaking air from windows and doors around your home is essential year-round to keep your home comfortable and heating and cooling costs low.
4. Take a good look at your roof
One of the biggest places where hot air escapes is through your roof. If you want to make sure that you aren’t inadvertently heating the atmosphere, you will want to insulate your roof or consider replacing it altogether.
The cost of replacing your roof might be substantial, but over time, you will end up saving money as your new roof does a better job of keeping your house insulated.
As the hot air rolls into the St. Louis metro area, it is important to keep your cooling costs low. Try these excellent energy efficiency tricks to cut costs and chill out this summer.