Trying to stay comfortable in Long Island’s mid-year heat and humidity can get expensive, but these 10 tactics will give you a good head start on controlling your summertime cooling costs.
- Raise the temperature – Keep your thermostat set to 78 degrees or above at all times to lighten the load on your A/C.
- Take advantage of cooler times – Open your windows and turn on your fans at night to bring in cool air, then close the windows when the sun comes out.
- Block the sun – Sunlight coming through your windows accounts for up to 20 percent of your home’s heat gain. Use blinds or curtains with reflective backings to block the sun from your windows.
- Use your ceiling fans – Ceiling fans are cheap to run, but the wind chill effect they create will make you feel around 5 degrees cooler. Used while the air conditioning’s running, fans also help reduce humidity.
- Change your lights – LED and CFL light bulbs produce less heat than traditional incandescent bulbs and use less electricity, too.
- Minimize appliance use – Using the oven, clothes dryer or the dishwasher raises your home’s temperature. Use heat-generating appliances only in the early mornings or evenings when it’s cooler out.
- Seal your ducts – Air leaks in the ducts waste conditioned air. Seal duct leaks and more conditioned air will reach your rooms, allowing the air conditioner to work less and use less energy.
- Seal building air leaks — Leaks around your windows, doors and elsewhere let conditioned air out and hot, humid air in. Sealing these air leaks with weatherstripping or caulk reduces the load on your air conditioner and saves you money.
- Insulate the attic – Ensuring that your attic has the right amount of insulation could decrease your summertime cooling costs by 40 percent.
- Install a programmable thermostat – These thermostats make it easy to keep your home at energy-efficient temperatures when you’re away at work or in bed.
For more pro tips on controlling summertime cooling costs, contact us at T.F. O’Brien Cooling & Heating. Throughout the Long Island area, we can help you get the most out of your A/C system and other HVAC equipment.
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