Keep your home cool and your energy bill low with these tips

With summer winding down, it’s time to usher in fall. That should mean a reprieve from the scorching heat that routinely proved no match for last summer’s record temperatures. The average cost to keep an American home cool continues to rise, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend an entire paycheck to reap the benefits of an air-conditioned home. There are several ways to keep your living space comfortable and airy without spending a dime more.

When you’re dealing with sweltering temperatures, you need an air conditioner that can keep your home cool. It’s understandable that you want a comfortable environment to live in, but it’s also important to stay aware of how energy efficient your home is. You may be tempted to turn down the temperature on your thermostat all the way down, but if you lower the temperature, your electric bill will increase, especially with thermostat.

So we’ve put together a few tips to keep your home as comfortably cool as possible while minimizing electricity usage. Something as simple as turn on a fan or closing the blinds during the day can make a big difference.

Here are six tricks to keep your home cool and use your thermostat more efficiently when it’s hot outside. (For more, we recommend investing in a smart plug or a smart thermostat , adjusting the temperature of your thermostat , and using draft excluders to save extra money.)

1. Register for an energy audit

If your home isn’t brand new, cold air is probably coming through doors and windows with poor seals, a poorly insulated attic, and other areas with creeping cracks.

To see how well your home keeps the cold out, sign up for an energy audit with your utility company or a local contractor. A certified energy professional or auditor will check your home for leaks and advise you on how to make your home more energy efficient.

I don’t want to for a check? Instead, you can do a DIY audit. Stand outside your home and run your hand along the windows and doors. Can you feel the cold air escaping? If so, caulk around leaky windows and add insulation around doors.

2. Buy a smart thermostat

If you haven’t yet switched to a smart thermostat, such as those from Ecobee or Nest — it might be time to make a change. Smart thermostats can control heating and cooling when you’re away to save you money. Plus, you can adjust settings remotely with an app on your phone or via voice commands. Here’s our list of the best smart thermostats to help you make the best decision for your home.

3. Check the placement of your thermostat

The placement of your thermostat can play a big role in how well your air conditioner works. For example, if you place your thermostat on a wall right next to a warm window, your air conditioner will come on much more often than it should because your thermostat thinks the room is warmer than it actually is. Here’s how to choose the perfect wall for your thermostat And the ideal temperature you should set it toYou may also want to consider a smart thermostat that comes with additional room sensors so it can keep track of the temperature throughout your home.

4. Close the blinds

A window that lets in the hot sun not only heats up your thermostat, but you as well. Close your blinds during the hottest part of the day to keep the sun out. It can also help to insulate your windows, which keeps the cold air from escaping. There are also special insulating blinds, curtains, and drapes that can keep your home even cooler.

5. Try a ceiling fan

You don’t always have to turn up the air conditioning to feel cooler. Using a ceiling fan can make a room feel coolerenough to raise the thermostat temperature by 4 degrees “without sacrificing comfort.” If you want to get high-tech, you can install a smart ceiling fan that connects to an app and automatically adjusts based on schedules you create. Just Make sure your fan runs counter-clockwise in the summer to get the most benefit from it.

6. Increase the temperature

To save the most money, always set your thermostat to the highest temperature you can comfortably tolerate. A programmable thermostat makes it easy to keep your AC at the right temperature. You can program the unit to maintain higher temperatures while you’re at work and cool down just before you get home.

You can save 10 percent a year on your cooling bill by turning up your thermostat just 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit for eight hours a day, according to the Nebraska Energy Office. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends aiming for a internal temperature of 78 degrees Fahrenheit when you are at home. It is okay if 78 degrees is not feasible for you; even a small change in temperature can save you a lot of money, reducing your energy bill by 3% per year.

Want to save even more energy? Check out our overview of environmentally friendly tips for a sustainable home. You can also read how you can save money by unplugging certain appliances when you are not using them.

More money saving tricks for your home