Electric bill high from air conditioning usage? I have two suggestions, one free and one not so free.
Turn the air off and clean the coils. When they are dry, it's OK to turn air back on. This is for a house unit (I don't know about single room window units).
Have freon level checked by a professional and increased if needed.
Let me tell you what happened here. The air was going on and staying on for a long time. Seemed to take a lot of compressor effort to cool down the house even a couple of degrees (we turn the air off when we leave the house so it warms up quite a bit). Although the air coming out of the registers felt cool, I felt something was wrong.
We received more freon, and I thought it was all fixed, but after a few days, that feeling came back again. Asked DH how long it had been since the coils were cleaned. OMG! What a difference! What an improvement. The air felt colder and somehow, seemed to run more efficiently. From now on, the calendar has a "clean the coils" reminder.
Obviously, it wasn't just a dirty coils situation. But cleaning them was certainly a step in the right direction. My electric bill will be lower, just 'cause the air doesn't have to run so long.
After the sun is off the south facing side of the house (or where you get the most sun) take the hose (or a bucket) and hose off the area closest to the house. If your house has good siding you can also spray the house and roof. Be sure to close the windows first. Next hose off any concrete or other paved areas next to the house.
Open your windows after the sun has gone down. This should bring down the inside temp as much as 10 degrees. If you've got the heat wave of all heat waves going on repeat in the AM and if possible at noon.
Note: if you also have a water shortage...try using water you 'save' from washing, or in a rain barrel. Your plants will thank you too.
I'd ask your HVAC guy about turning the AC off when you leave. We used to do that, but our guy (when we lived in NC) told us that the system uses more energy to cool and dehumidify the house than it uses to keep the temperature and humidity stable. There wasn't a huge difference in the utility bills, but it was slightly less, and it was more pleasant coming home to a comfortable house - I set the AC at 80 - versus being uncomfortably hot (sometimes in the 90's) and sticky humid.
Buy a reputable brand. We had a TV investigation done on some of the brands that are coming out of China and they claim to be a certain star rating for energy efficiency but they were tested and found to be wrong.
We need to be sure of the product and of the company that makes them. You may save some money in the short term but you pay for it in electricity bills.
Instead of using your air conditioner when it is very hot, just purchase a large, square fan and have it blowing right in front of you, I'm talking within 2-3 feet. This works particularly well at night when you're in just one position for a long time and don't have to walk around. It works incredibly well and saves you a bundle! Works well if you are just sitting in one spot watching tv, too.
Login using the form on the top of the page to post feedback (if you are a registered user). If you have not yet registered, click here to do so. It's FREE!.
