As the owner of an air conditioning business in Tampa Bay, I hear frustrations over energy costs every day. The cruel reality is that we live in a sub-tropical location that, despite its many advantages, requires us to use more air conditioning than other locations. Air conditioning is, unfortunately, the number one energy user in homes, which is why you see the higher energy costs in our warmer climate, especially during the summer! While you want to stay cool and comfortable in your home, there are some things you can do to make your system more efficient and reduce energy costs:
The more current your system is, the more efficient it will be. Is your A/C unit very old? Has it been recently serviced? Proper maintenance can help your unit be more efficient, even if it’s an older system.
A programmable thermostat with auto adjust temperature will prevent you from unnecessarily cooling your home when no one is home so that your system will not run as much.
Simply replacing filters regularly and keeping your system clean can make a big difference. Clean systems run more efficiently because there is no dirt and dust restricting the airflow. When you let dirt and dust accumulate, the unit will not release all the air it should be releasing, which means your system will work harder to do less work —drawing additional but unnecessary power.
I have lived in Tampa my whole life so I know the feeling of wanting to stay cool without paying an arm and a leg for air conditioning. Hopefully these tips can help you do just that!