    |
How Much Does 1 Degree of AC Cost? Save Money This Summer Without Sacrificing Comfort
When you’re managing a household, every cent counts. Control of your energy costs is a great way to manage your home budget while keeping your family cool. Still, it can be challenging to figure out what the impact of even one-degree change could have on your bottom line. That’s why we’ve done the math for you to figure out how much 1 degree of AC really costs, plus some savvy tips on how to keep your house crips without relying on your air conditioner. So, How Much Does 1 Degree of AC Really Cost?During hot and humid summer months, you might be tempted to dial your thermostat down another degree or two for extra comfort. But have you considered what that small adjustment costs you? The Real Cost of AC: $2.85 Per DegreeAccording to energy experts, each degree you lower your thermostat increases your cooling costs by approximately 3%. Based on average summer cooling costs of $95 per household in Minnesota, that single degree adjustment adds about $2.85 to your energy bill over the course of a summer. What This Means For Your HomeFor a typical home:
Smart Ways to Cool Your Home & Save on Energy BillsAC costs can rise over time, especially when the summer heat gets brutal. It can be tempting to keep ticking down the temperature on your air conditioner. To help you save money—and wear on your AC unit—here are a few additional ways to cool your home without relying so much on your AC. Throw Down Some Shade: Block the Sun to Save on Cooling CostsNo, we aren’t talking about getting sassy with your friends and family! In this case, we literally mean pulling your blinds down. This blocks the heat of the sun from coming into your home, keeping rooms cooler by avoiding an oven-like effect from all that sunshine. Avoid Hot Appliances to Help Lower Your Energy BillTry to avoid using appliances in the home that cause a lot of heat. For example, using your oven in the summertime can cause an already warm house to go into the hot zone. The same goes for bathroom appliances like hair dryers. When you can, skip using these heat makers to keep your home cool. Nature’s Air Conditioning: Smart LandscapingInvesting in foliage outside your home can help you control the temperature inside your home. Planting trees around your house, especially near windows, creates a natural sunblock, providing shade from the sun’s rays. And we all know things are always cooler in the shade! Fan Direction Matters When Maximizing Your Home CoolingIf your house is in the process of cooling or is already where you want it, the last thing you want to do is let any of that cool air out. Keep your doors—and windows, for that matter—closed as much as possible. Even if only cracked open, it will let valuable cold air seep out of your house and make it much harder to keep the temperature down. And we don’t just mean doors to the outside: it’s much easier to cool a single room than it is to cool a whole house, so keeping doors between rooms closed can also keep things cooler longer. Check Your FansYou may not know this, but the direction your fan turns matters! In the summer, you want your fan to turn counterclockwise so it creates a downdraft. This will provide a breeze effect in the room that cools you naturally. If you run it clockwise, it will create an updraft, circulating the air but not creating a cooling breeze. The Coolest ProfessionalsIf you’ve tried all of the above and still need more guidance, check out our tips on how to reduce your air conditioning costs. And when you just have to have the power of AC, make sure you have an AC that works properly. A well-tuned, efficient AC is also a key part of saving money on air conditioning costs. To ensure everything is in order, schedule AC maintenance with one of our experts today. Call us to make an appointment! |
When you’re managing a household, every cent counts. Control of your energy costs is a great way to manage your home budget while keeping your family cool. Still, it can be challenging to figure out what the impact of even one-degree change could have on your bottom line.
That’s why we’ve done the math for you to figure out how much 1 degree of AC really costs, plus some savvy tips on how to keep your house crips without relying on your air conditioner.
During hot and humid summer months, you might be tempted to dial your thermostat down another degree or two for extra comfort. But have you considered what that small adjustment costs you?
According to energy experts, each degree you lower your thermostat increases your cooling costs by approximately 3%. Based on average summer cooling costs of $95 per household in Minnesota, that single degree adjustment adds about $2.85 to your energy bill over the course of a summer.
For a typical home:
AC costs can rise over time, especially when the summer heat gets brutal. It can be tempting to keep ticking down the temperature on your air conditioner. To help you save money—and wear on your AC unit—here are a few additional ways to cool your home without relying so much on your AC.
No, we aren’t talking about getting sassy with your friends and family! In this case, we literally mean pulling your blinds down. This blocks the heat of the sun from coming into your home, keeping rooms cooler by avoiding an oven-like effect from all that sunshine.
Try to avoid using appliances in the home that cause a lot of heat. For example, using your oven in the summertime can cause an already warm house to go into the hot zone. The same goes for bathroom appliances like hair dryers. When you can, skip using these heat makers to keep your home cool.
Investing in foliage outside your home can help you control the temperature inside your home. Planting trees around your house, especially near windows, creates a natural sunblock, providing shade from the sun’s rays. And we all know things are always cooler in the shade!
If your house is in the process of cooling or is already where you want it, the last thing you want to do is let any of that cool air out. Keep your doors—and windows, for that matter—closed as much as possible. Even if only cracked open, it will let valuable cold air seep out of your house and make it much harder to keep the temperature down. And we don’t just mean doors to the outside: it’s much easier to cool a single room than it is to cool a whole house, so keeping doors between rooms closed can also keep things cooler longer.
You may not know this, but the direction your fan turns matters! In the summer, you want your fan to turn counterclockwise so it creates a downdraft. This will provide a breeze effect in the room that cools you naturally. If you run it clockwise, it will create an updraft, circulating the air but not creating a cooling breeze.
If you’ve tried all of the above and still need more guidance, check out our tips on how to reduce your air conditioning costs.
And when you just have to have the power of AC, make sure you have an AC that works properly. A well-tuned, efficient AC is also a key part of saving money on air conditioning costs. To ensure everything is in order, schedule AC maintenance with one of our experts today. Call us to make an appointment!
Call: 612-825-6867
