As is the case with heating a home throughout the winter, cooling an entire residence throughout the spring and summer months can place a considerable strain on your finances.
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People who hail from areas that are known for brutally hot weather are likely to be particularly hard-hit by exorbitant cooling costs. Fortunately, there are a variety of cost-effective steps you can take to keep spring and summertime cooling expenses under control. So, if manageable utility bills during the warm weather season are what you seek, put the following tips to good use.
Don’t Sleep on A/C Maintenance
In warmer parts of the country, a home’s central air conditioning system serves as its most important line of defense against sweltering outdoor temps. As such, A/C maintenance should be among the foremost priorities of every household, particularly during the warm weather season. So, in addition to keeping the system clean and swapping out filters as needed, make sure to have any problems, regardless of how small or inconsequential you believe them to be, addressed by professionals in a timely manner.
The longer small problems are allowed to linger, the more time they have to become considerably more serious problems. While not wanting to spend money on repairs is perfectly understandable, spending a comparatively small amount to repair a freshly-emerged issue is infinitely preferable to shelling out a fortune to repair a much larger problem. Anyone who owns – or is looking to own – Sarasota, Florida real estate should be particularly mindful of A/C maintenance.
Have Your A/C Serviced Regularly
In the interest of keeping your central air conditioning system up and running for years to come, make sure to have it professionally serviced at least twice a year. Furthermore, depending on how much use you get out of your A/C and the age and condition of the system, you may need to have it serviced on a more frequent basis.
Regular service visits can help ensure that the system stays clean, potential problems are quickly identified and worn-down parts are promptly swapped out. The better you are at keeping up with service visits, the more efficiently your system will run – and the more efficiently your system runs, the more manageable your cooling costs are likely to be.
Upgrade Your Home’s Insulation
Good insulation can play a vital role in sealing in cool temps. So, if your home’s current insulation leaves a lot to be desired, there’s no time like the present to seek out an upgrade. As an added bonus, high-quality insulation can also come in handy during the icy-cold winter months, when it will help seal in warm air while keeping the cool air from outside at bay. Keep in mind that if you have little to no experience installing insulation, this task is best left to a professional.
Limit the Use of Certain Appliances During Daylight Hours
Certain appliances in your home generate a fair amount of heat. While this can prove somewhat comfortable during the winter, it stands to make parts of your home ridiculously warm throughout the summer. So, if doing so is an option for you, abstain from using your oven and dryer during the sun’s peak hours.
While being without an oven may strike certain kitchen wizards as an unthinkable prospect, this should be viewed as an opportunity to experiment with new types of recipes. For example, there’s no shortage of tasty summer dishes that don’t require the use of an oven. Additionally, if you’ve been looking for the right chance to perfect your barbecue game, consider spending the summer becoming better acquainted with your grill.
In addition to limiting the use of certain appliances, swap out any incandescent light bulbs in your home for energy-efficient LED or CFL bulbs. Not only do these bulbs consume less energy and have longer lifespans than traditional incandescents, they also produce far less heat. So, if a specific area of your home is unbearably warm, make note of what kinds of light bulbs are present.
It’s no secret that utility costs can be high during the spring and summer months. In fact, if you live in an area with excessively warm springs and summers, you may find yourself parting ways with a small fortune each month. Luckily, with a little bit of forward thinking and a willingness to change wasteful behaviors, you can effectively prevent your utility costs from dominating your finances throughout the warm weather season.