(BPT) – When humidity rises, many homeowners turn up the AC, but that can be expensive. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that heating and cooling account for about 52% of the average U.S. home’s energy use.
The good news: you don’t have to choose between comfort and saving money. Elizabeth Shavers, Director of IHT and Safety at Oncourse Home Solutions, shares five expert tips to help you keep both your home and your budget cool this summer.
1. Give your thermostat a vacation
“Treat your thermostat like a speed limit, not a volume knob,” Shavers says. “Setting it to 65°F won’t cool the house any faster; it just forces the system to run longer and waste energy.”
According to the Department of Energy, homeowners can save roughly 3% on their cooling bill for every degree they raise the thermostat.
“Try setting it to 78°F when you’re home and nudging it up a few degrees when you’re away. This simple shift can reduce annual cooling costs by as much as 10%,” Shavers says.
2. Don’t let dust drain your budget
“A dirty AC unit doesn’t work as well,” Shavers says. “If the coils — the tubes that carry refrigerant and transfer heat — get covered in dust, your system will work much harder to move less air.”
What you can do:
- Change your air filter every 30 to 90 days. If you have pets or allergies, aim for the 30-day mark.
- Keep the outdoor condenser unit clear of debris and ensure the unit has adequate space around it for proper airflow.
- Schedule a professional tune-up. While cleaning your AC yourself helps, Shavers says a professional Cooling Maintenance or Heating & Cooling Maintenance visit makes the biggest difference. A technician can clean internal components and ensure the system is running efficiently.
3. Neutralize the silent killer of appliances
Summer brings heat and storms. Power surges from lightning or grid issues can damage sensitive circuit boards in modern cooling units.
“Homeowners are often surprised that modern, high-efficiency units are actually more vulnerable to electrical fluctuations,” says Shavers. “Small, silent surges from the grid can accumulate until the system suddenly fails.”
What you can do:
- Use high-quality surge strips for small electronics, but never plug major AC units into standard power strips.
- Get a dedicated Surge Protection plan. It works like a firewall for your home, and is installed at your electrical panel to stop power surges before they reach your home’s wiring.
“With the average cost of a central air conditioning replacement now ranging from $5,000 to over $12,000, according to industry data from Angi and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, this proactive step can prevent a small electrical glitch from becoming a total system loss,” Shavers says.
4. Reverse your perspective
Check your ceiling fans. In summer, the blades should spin counterclockwise to push cool air down.
“This creates a wind-chill effect, so you can raise the thermostat by about 4 degrees and still feel comfortable,” Shavers says. “It’s the cheapest cooling trick you have. Just remember, fans cool people, not rooms, so turn them off when you leave.”
5. Future-proof your peace of mind
Efficiency isn’t just about saving money on your monthly bill; it’s about avoiding the “emergency tax.” If your cooling system breaks down on a 95-degree Sunday, repairs can be incredibly expensive.
“Many homeowners are moving toward proactive protection to avoid last-minute stress,” says Shavers. “Comprehensive coverage, like the warranty plans from Oncourse Home Solutions, helps U.S. homeowners save more than $100 million annually in unexpected repair costs. By using a pre-vetted network of trusted technicians, we handle scheduling and price comparisons for you. This ensures that when something goes wrong, the solution is already in motion, allowing you to keep your cool even when the temperature rises.”
Stay cool and save. Find more energy-smart solutions at oncourse.com.
