When it is 99 degrees outside, many of you have your AC running almost constantly.  How can you stay cool, and save money at the same time?

1.  Change Your Filters – Often

Your AC unit needs to “breathe.”  If your filters are dirty, the AC works harder (and uses more energy, costing you more $$) to work.  Especially during the summer, check your filters every 2 weeks, and replace them if they are covered with dust (will happen, no matter how much you clean 🙂 ).

2.  Set Your AC to the highest possible comfortable temperature and use fans

For every degree that your house has to be cooled, it increases your energy usage by an average of about 6%.  So, if you are at 74degrees instead of 78, a $250 AC bill could easily become $310.

3.  Use a Programmable Thermostat

If you MUST have a cooler house, then get a programmable thermostat to regulate the temperature.  Not only are digital thermostats more accurate, but you can set the AC to a higher level for the times you may not be home.   Why spend extra money cooling an empty house?

4.  Get Higher Efficiency Equipment

You know that greater efficiency equals greater savings.  And the right equipment will work hard to save you money on your heating  and cooling bills by using less fuel in the first place. Are your current  heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)  components saving you the money they could be? Here are a few things to think  about:

If your unit is more than 10 years old, consider replacing it with a more  energy-efficient model.   The higher the rating, the more efficient the product  and lower your energy usage can be. Make sure your components meet the following  minimums:

– Furnaces: Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE)  ratings of 80 or higher
– Heat pumps: Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF)  ratings of 7 or higher
– Air conditioners: Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER)  ratings of 13 or higher

 5. Make sure that your equipment is the Right Size

Sorry, but buying a “Bigger” AC will not necessarily make your house more comfortable at a lower cost because it is more “powerful.”  Homes that are heated and cooled by units that are too big, too small or just  plain mismatched, miss out on quality performance and efficiency.

Ask your AC Installation Company to come out to your house and perform a load calculation for  your home. This will help define products with the right capacity  for your home, and help you find the best system to meet your comfort needs.  The best answer is to use a matched system: which refers to components that are  designed to work together to provide greater efficiency, reliability and  comfort. Matched systems can be “split” (separate units placed inside and  outside the home) or “packaged” (one single unit, which houses all components in  a single cabinet, placed outside the home).*

Using these tips will not only increase the comfort of your home; they will really help your bank account!

At the Cool Dude AC, we not only provide top-tier service for all of your Air Conditioning and Heating needs in Houston, Sugar Land, Stafford, and Missouri City; we also offer the best guarantee you will find anywhere for parts AND labor. We are a family-owned, local company that treats our customers like family; while being big enough to service our customers in a timely manner. Clay Sheffield started The Cool Dude to provide people with the type of service and care HE would appreciate.

For The Cool Dude, the ONLY acceptable customer satisfaction score is a 100! Call The Cool Dude Air Conditioning repair at (713) 773-2910.