Saving energy in your home isn’t just a cold-weather goal. A surprising amount of energy gets consumed running a household in the summer, too. But a variety of simple strategies are available for using energy more efficiently during the cooling season. Try the following energy saving tips:
- Use a programmable thermostat to save energy and money when you’re not home. Program the temperature a few degrees higher when you’re away at work all day. Or just turn off the A/C altogether if you’re not going to around to enjoy it. Unless it’s very hot outside, modern central air systems usually can cool off a warm house relatively quickly.
- Turn on the fans. A ceiling fan in an occupied room can make it feel several degrees cooler than the thermostat setting. This so-called wind-chill effect allows you to set the thermostat higher without losing any comfort. Over time, this can save quite a bit of energy. Don’t forget to turn off the fan in unoccupied rooms, since the cooling effect is wasted in an empty space.
- Let Mother Nature cool your home. When it’s not too hot or muggy outside, open up windows and sliding doors. Or if nights are relatively cool, turn off the A/C and open the windows while you’re sleeping. The cool morning air wafting into hour home will allow you to wait a few hours before turning on the A/C. Just remember to seal up the house before it gets hot outside.
- Seal air leaks and upgrade insulation. Keep heat energy and warm air from infiltrating your home and forcing the A/C to work harder than necessary. Seal air leaks with caulk, weatherstripping or spray foam, and add insulation, especially in the attic.
- Schedule maintenance on your A/C if you haven’t done so already. This ensures that the cooling equipment will operate efficiently throughout the summer. Check the air filter yourself on at least monthly, replacing it when it looks clogged or dirty.
For more summer energy-saving tips for your Calgary-area home, please contact us at Arpi’s Industries.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about saving energy this summer and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide.
Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Ondrej Supitar/StockSnap”
