One of the most valuable appliances in any home is the home air conditioning unit. It is a core appliance and a lifesaver at times because it provides cooling comfort on those days when the sun is generating more heat than we can stand and we cannot find any other respite. If you have an AC unit that also provides heating, it can also be the difference between you being left in the bitter cold.
So it is definitely a great appliance to have in the home because of its benefits. There is a downside to an AC unit however and that is its cost of operation. Air conditioning units are by far the most expensive appliances to operate in the home. In fact depending on how much you use your air conditioner it can offer an account for more than 25% of your monthly electricity bill.
With this fact in mind, we can have great adoration for our air conditioning units but we must be strategic in how we use it or we will come to hate it. Here’s some tips things that we can do to lower the cost of our electricity bills relating to our air conditioning.
Replace Your Old Windows and Doors
Two areas that you should focus on immediately in order to stop wasting money on air conditioning are your doors and windows. When doors and windows get old they can pull away from their frames and cause drafts throughout your home. With these drafts or leaks, the rooms in your home will not be able to maintain the temperature that you said with your air conditioners thermostat. When you set a temperature for your air conditioner the unit will come on and attempt to move the room to your desired temperature.
If the room is not sealed with tight windows and doors, the air conditioning unit will have to continually work in order to get you and to maintain that Target temperature. Leaky and drafty rooms require the air conditioning unit to work harder and longer and when this occurs it will cost you more money. A smart way to avoid this is to get new windows and doors that are airtight, creating a great seal in every room in your house. By doing this alone you can save lots of money on your electric bill and make your home much more comfortable too.
Service or Replace Your Air Conditioner
Air conditioners need regular servicing in order to operate efficiently. A technician will replace worn parts, clean filters and ducts and make sure that every part of the system is operating well. In the event that you unit is too old, the technician will tell you that its efficiency has passed its point of being worth the increasing costs of repairs so the unit should be replaced.
Replacing an air conditioner is worrisome because of its expense but a new air conditioner will be much more efficient than an older unit. In fact if you unit is more than 15 years old you can expect to get as much as a 30% cost savings on your electricity bills from the new unit. This will quickly defray the cost of the new unit particularly if you use your AC all the time.
So first service your unit and then if needed replace it with a highly efficient new one. In the end you will see lower electricity bills and not feel guilty when you turn your AC on.