How to Save Money on Your Home's Cooling Costs This Summer

How much money do you typically spend to cool your home during the summer months? When the summer weather arrives, you may crank up the air conditioner to keep cool. Air conditioners, of course, consume energy. You can't run an air conditioner without using energy. Fortunately, there are ways to lower your home's cooling costs during the summer, some of which include the following:

Swap Out the Air Filter

You might be surprised to learn that swapping out the old air filter for a new air filter can save you money on your home's cooling costs. All air conditioners have an air filter. As air circulates through an air conditioner, it will pass through the filter. Air filters don't last forever, though. As air passes through them, they'll collect debris that can make your air conditioner less efficient. Installing a new air filter is a simple solution that will maximize both the performance and efficiency of your air conditioner.

Install Thermal Curtains

Thermal curtains can save you money on your home's cooling costs. Also known as blackout curtains, they are designed to block at least 99% of all light. With blackout curtains installed, little or no sunlight will enter your home through the windows. As a result, you won't have to run your air conditioner for as long to achieve a comfortable temperature.

Check for Drafts

If you haven't done so already, consider inspecting your home for drafts. A draft is an air leak. If your home isn't completely sealed, it may have one or more drafts. Your air conditioner may still be able to produce cold air, but it will leak this air to the outside. Finding and fixing drafts such as this will make your air conditioner more efficient so that you have lower cooling costs during the summer.

Turn on the Fans

Assuming your home has ceiling fans, turning them on may save you money on cooling. Ceiling fans technically don't produce cold air. Nonetheless, they'll encourage the cold air produced by your air conditioner to circulate throughout your home.

Comb the Coils

Another way to slash the cost of cooling your home is to comb the coils. There are coil combs that you use to straighten the coils of your air conditioner. With straight coils, your air conditioner will run more efficiently while subsequently saving you money.