Saving Money on Air Conditioning in Sacramento
Yelling “We don’t live in a barn!” was usually Dad’s way of saving money on air conditioning. Times have changed. You’re the homeowner now, and you don’t necessarily want to sound just like your father. But now that the roles are reversed, you realize there was truth in another of his favorite sayings: “We’re not made of money!” You don’t want to sweat, but you’re also keeping a close eye on your utility bills. So how do you save money on air conditioning? Ace Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning has answers.
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Set a Higher Indoor Temperature
As a rule of thumb, every degree cooler you set your air conditioning for an eight-hour run adds roughly another percent to your energy bill. So even though a 68-degree house can feel nice, it’ll cost you about 10% more on average than setting the thermostat to the 78ยฐF recommended by the Department of Energy.
Get Outdoors
Weather and health permitting โ if it’s not rainy, and you don’t have allergies or respiratory issues that can be aggravated by poor air quality or high heat โ go outside. The exercise and sunshine will do you good, and as a bonus, the higher temperature you’ve set your thermostat to will feel nice and cool the moment you step back indoors.
Use Fans
Your home probably has ceiling fans โ use them. Air circulation gives your AC a helping hand, and you’ll feel cooler even with the thermostat set higher. Just make sure you’ve changed the direction of the fans if you switched them over for winter like you should have; in summer, you want them running to pull hot air up toward the ceiling.
Your home has other fans that are easy to forget about, too. Vent fans in the kitchen and bathroom help remove heat and humidity after cooking or showering. Many homes also have attic fans to help cool one of the hottest parts of the house. Basement fans are somewhat less common, but they help regulate airflow and temperature and keep air from getting stagnant. Make sure all of these are in good working order.
Barbecue
Another way to keep your kitchen from heating up is to grill outdoors instead of using the oven or stovetop. If you’re not in the mood to grill, or it’s raining and still muggy outside, sandwiches or a light, cool salad are a good no-heat alternative.
Insulate
A well-insulated home acts like a cooler โ locking cool air in and keeping warm air out where it belongs. This isn’t just a summertime benefit, either: good insulation in your walls, around windows and doors, and in your attic helps keep you warm in winter too, saving you money all year long.
Turn Down Your Water Heater
Your air conditioning isn’t the only target worth optimizing for energy savings. Keeping your water heater set to about 120ยฐF keeps showers comfortably cool and refreshing without wasting energy overheating water you don’t need that hot.
Change Your Filters
Your HVAC system needs to “breathe.” Air filters remove contaminants without restricting airflow โ but only up to a point. Once a filter has trapped enough debris, it loses efficiency, which makes your AC work harder than it should. Simple as it sounds, the DOE calls this “the quickest way to save energy on home cooling.” Pairing regular filter changes with annual HVAC maintenance covers the rest of what your system needs to stay efficient.
Fix or Replace Your Air Conditioner?
Annual air conditioner maintenance helps keep your system running its best, but age takes its toll on mechanical systems eventually. Sooner or later, maintenance turns into repairs โ and if those bills are getting more frequent or more expensive, it’s worth considering a new air conditioning installation from Ace Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning instead. For a fuller breakdown of when repair still makes sense versus when replacement pays off, see our guides on AC replacement vs. repair and is it time to repair or replace your central air. We’ll properly size, source, and install a system that saves you money through efficiency month after month. Call us for help with all your HVAC needs!
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money can I really save by raising my thermostat a few degrees?
Roughly 1% per degree for every 8 hours of runtime, so setting your thermostat from 68ยฐF to the DOE-recommended 78ยฐF can mean around 10% in cooling cost savings.
Do ceiling fans actually lower my AC bill?
Yes โ fans don’t cool the air itself, but they make a room feel cooler at a given temperature, letting you comfortably raise your thermostat setting without sacrificing comfort.
How often should I change my AC filter to save money?
Check monthly during heavy summer use, and replace as soon as it looks visibly dirty โ a clogged filter is one of the simplest and most common reasons an AC works harder (and costs more) than it needs to.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace an aging AC unit?
It depends on your repair frequency and unit age โ our AC replacement vs. repair guide walks through exactly how to make that call.