Here are 13 tips that can help you save money.

  1. Schedule routine maintenance to ensure all of your air conditioning components are running efficiently.
  2. Change your air filter regularly! We recommend once a month. Clogged, dirty filters block normal air flow and reduce a system’s efficiency significantly.
  3. Home insulation can’t be over-emphasized! Properly insulating your house is probably the most important step in conserving energy.
  4. Find places in your home where outdoor air can sneak inside and plug those areas with caulking, weather-stripping or plastic. It is also a good idea to weather-strip and caulk around all doors and windows.
  5. Double-glazed and double-paned windows can cut heat transfer by up to 40-50%. Replacing old windows with ENERGY STAR qualified windows can lower household energy bills by 7-15 percent.
  6. If you have a fireplace, make sure that you have a tight-fitting damper that can be closed when it is not in use.
  7. Consider investing in a humidifier to conserve energy in the winter. A humidifier will prevent the air in your home from being so dry, and as a result, will allow you to stay comfortable at a lower temperature setting.
  8. Locate your thermostat on an inside wall away from windows and doors. Be sure that your thermostat is NOT in direct sunlight.
  9. Set your thermostat as low, or as high as comfort permits (depending on winter vs. summer months). For example, in the winter, each degree over 68 degrees F can add 3% to the amount of energy needed for heating.
  10. Make sure your attic is adequately ventilated to relieve heat buildup. If necessary, you may want to consider adding or enlarging vents and/or adding turbine vents (whirlybirds). In our sweltering summer months having several whirlybird roof vents can save hundreds of dollars in cooling cost by keeping your attic cooler. One turbine can create a suction that can remove as much as 300 cubic feet of air per minute.
  11. Be sure to draw your blinds or your drapes in our hottest summer months to block sunlight.
  12. Do not place lamps, TVs or other heat producing devices beneath a wall-mounted thermostat. Rising heat from the equipment can cause the thermostat to over-cool your house.
  13. Do not place furniture in front of vents, blocking or restricting air-flow.