How to Save Money on AC

One of the most important things you can do as a homeowner is save money. By keeping more in your pocket at the end of each month, you are actively making a good choice for your financial future.

Having more money makes you richer. Everyone wants to be richer. Unfortunately, most things we enjoy, like movies, food, vacations and air conditioning, cost money. Spending money makes you poorer. No one wants to be poorer.

Filter King is on a mission to improve the lives of all of our customers. We do this directly by improving the air quality in your home. But beyond our fantastic selection of air filters and our industry-leading customer service, we also make your life better by giving you actionable advice about many different home-related concepts.

In this particular article, Filter King is going to make you richer. By following the advice in this article, you can expect a lower electricity bill next month. How’s that for customer service?

Save Money on AC by Using It Less

We’re going to get this tip out of the way first, because it’s the least popular. Using your AC less will definitely lower your electricity bill, and by a good amount, so we have to cover it. But we understand if you want to skip to the other tips.

Your AC system works by pumping refrigerant into coils, and then pushing it into chambers, cooling it down. It then forces air through pipes in those chambers to cool the air, and then funnels that air and distributes it through your house. The refrigerant is cycled back to the coils, and the process starts over.

Pumping, pushing, cooling, forcing, funneling, distributing… That’s a LOT of electricity. It should come as no surprise that, in the hotter climates, air conditioning uses about a third of ALL household electricity.

The good news is that, because so much of our electricity bill goes to this one utility, reducing our costs is pretty straightforward. The most straightforward way to save money on your electricity bill, is to use less AC.

If you normally keep your thermostat at 68 degrees, try upping it to 74. While you might feel a bit toasty on occasion, 74 is definitely tolerable, and can significantly reduce your electric bill. Depending on your climate, this can reduce the amount of power your AC uses by a huge percentage.

Let’s say your electricity bill is $200 per month. A third of that, or $66, is spent on AC. If you reduce your AC’s use of power by 20%, you’ll be saving about $160 a year by doing something you’ll barely notice in the long run! You’ll essentially be cutting a month of electricity cost off your yearly electricity bill. Amazing.

If you’re in a particularly hot state, you probably didn’t even read the above section. Believe me, I get it. There are some parts of the country where turning up the temperature on your thermostat just isn’t an option. Let’s explore some other methods for saving money on AC.

Save Money on AC by Reducing Leaks

If you could take your house and dunk it in a gigantic tub of water, it would release air bubbles like a hot tub jet. The average house has a bunch of tiny holes that let hot air in, and cold air out.

One of the most popular ways to reduce your AC bill is to spend a few hours searching for small cracks or holes in your window and door seams, and seal them up with calk or by replacing the seals.

It may not seem like this will make much of a difference, but believe me, it will. Every cubic foot of cold air that escapes your house is another penny that you could have saved. Since your AC is at work 24/7, that can really add up.

Save Money on AC by Blocking UV Rays

Ok, “blocking UV rays” sounds a little technical. We really just mean closing the blinds and keeping sunlight out. But this can have a substantial impact on your electricity bill, so let’s go into more detail!

The sun ejects ultraviolet radiation onto the planet. This radiation heats the air, and then makes us feel hot. If you’re letting a lot of sunlight into your home, it’s going to be directly countering every bit of work your AC is doing during the day. Your AC will cool the air, only for it to be heated again once it’s in the sunlight.

To combat this, simply close your sun-facing blinds during the day (or invest in some UV blocking windows), and crank your AC temperature up a bit. Your house will be the same temperature while saving you money.

Save Money on AC by Using Fans

The reason you feel hot isn’t just the ambient temperature of the air. The amount of time one segment of air rests on your body is also a factor.

Stagnant air acts as a blanket, trapping your body heat and making you feel hotter. Using fans cools you down by moving that air away from you, and keeping lower-temperature air cycling over you.

Crank your AC up five or ten degrees, buy a couple decent standing fans, and point them your common standing or sitting points (desk chair, couch, kitchen sink, etc.)

You’ll save a good amount of money per month and be essentially just as comfortable.

Save Money on AC by Changing Your Air Filters Regularly

This is by far and away the easiest, cheapest, and most effective way to save money on your AC bill. If you go more than three months without changing your filter, you’re almost certainly spending more than you have to on AC.

When your filter gets clogged, your AC system has to work harder to pump more air through the system. Change your air filter to allow your system to breathe easier and reduce your AC spending.

Changing your air filters has the added benefit of improving the longevity of your HVAC system. Clogged filters can create back pressure and strain that can break your system. This means expensive, avoidable repairs. Replacing your filters often is a no-brainer.

Check out our online filter store to find your size, submit your order, and get your new filters in just a few days! Enjoy the extra cash!