Energy savings with air conditioning

Heating and cooling the typical home uses more electricity than anything else. Adjusting your usage here will make a big difference.

No-cost ways to save

• The temperature setting you choose plays a major role in how much energy you will use each month. The generally recommended temperature for summer is 78° F to 80° F and 68° F to 70° F for winter months. Raising the temperature in summer or lowering it in winter can help you save even more. Adjusting the temperature one degree per week can help you gradually add or subtract a few degrees comfortably and enjoy greater savings on your electric bill. Check out the savings at various thermostat settings.
• Turning your air conditioner off in warmer months when no one is home will add up to significant cost savings and energy savings.
• Turning your heat down to 55° F in colder months when no one is home will save lots of electricity and money while protecting your pipes from freezing.
• When returning to a warm house in the summer set the thermostat to the temperature at which you want the room to be cooled. The room won’t cool off any faster if you set the thermostat at a lower temperature. Air conditioners are either on or off. Setting the thermostat lower than you need can waste energy by overshooting the desired temperature. The same principle applies to heating in winter.
• Close the vents to unused rooms in your home and close the door so you don’t waste energy cooling or heating those rooms.

Low-cost ways to save

• A programmable thermostat can help automate temperature adjustments so you don’t have to keep track of them yourself.
• Clean or replace the filter every month. Your AC has to work harder when your filter is dirty.
• Installing a ceiling fan can save electricity by making the room feel around 10° F cooler while using far less energy than your air conditioner. Find out more about saving electricity with ceiling fans.

Largest energy savings

Replace your AC unit if it is older than 10 years old. New, high-efficiency Energy Star qualified AC units use as much as 20 percent less electricity than those made 10 years ago.* Be sure to have the contractor properly size your AC system for your home instead of simply replacing it with the same size as your previous system. Due to older houses being built with less attention to tightly sealing against air leakage it was not uncommon to install air conditioners that had as much as quadruple the necessary capacity. As weather-stripping, insulation and other improvements have been added, the size requirements for the new AC system are greatly reduced.

*Source: www.energystar.gov dated 6/19/08