Who doesn’t love the idea of saving money in the winter? Particularly with our high Florida electric bills in the summer, and with the holidays coming up, saving money is always a good thing.
In the Tampa Bay area, we tend to go from one extreme to the other. We leave our air conditioners running nine months out of the year and then the moment the outside temps dip below 70, we’re scurrying for sweaters and flipping on our heat. But you don’t have to. We have a couple of ideas that will save you money and keep you from flipping that heat switch.
Money Saving AC Tips
Open Up Those Curtains
Turn Off the AC
Seal the Leaks
Use a Programmable Thermostat
Get Your Heater Serviced
While most of the year we suggest keeping them drawn to cut costs, in the winter you want to let all that glorious sun in. It will naturally warm your house without increasing your electric bill. It may even get so toasty you might need to close the blinds again.
It’s not often we say this because of the humidity that’s in the air most of the year, but during the winter, humidity dips down and the weather is more pleasant. If the temps are in the 70s, you can be very comfortable opening up the windows and raising the blinds. However, don’t keep turning the AC on and off. This will cause more problems as the unit must work harder to get your indoor temp just right.
Inspect your windows and doors. Do you feel cold air coming in? If so, you need to improve the insulation in those areas by sealing them or applying weather stripping (if it’s a particularly cold winter). This will help you keep your warm air in and the cold air out.
Using a programmable thermostat is one of the easiest ways to save money on your heating and cooling. In the winter you can keep your home a little cooler when it’s vacant or when everyone is asleep. There is no reason to heat a home when you aren’t there to enjoy it. You can also do the opposite with your AC. If it’s a warm winter and you’re running your AC often, make sure you’re not cooling your home when everyone is elsewhere.
It’s estimated about 25,000 homes catch fire each year because of space heaters. And why do people use space heaters? They either don’t want to turn on their home’s heater or their home’s heater is not effective enough to make everyone in every room comfortable.
Before the season starts, it’s a good idea to get your heater serviced. That way you know it’s running well and you’ll have less of a chance to be surprised by a repair. It’s much easier to get a unit serviced in November or December than when things turn chilly in January and everyone needs heating repair in Tampa Bay.
Winter doesn’t have to mean expensive heating costs. Using these ideas will keep them lower. Another idea is replacing old units with more energy efficient ones. Contact us today at Easy- A/C at 813-COLD-AIR (265-3247). We can help you save money and time.