The advent of the cold months quickly reminds most homeowners of the ambient noise their air conditioning system generates. Running the AC become a necessity during such chilly days to keep the house warm and cozy. Come the hot summers and the AC again at it, working to cool the place.

Having the AC running continually meaning a higher energy demand and this translates to a higher electric bill. However, this is not something engraved in stone; it is possible to save energy consumption and costs when running the home air conditioner is a must. Below are ten ways you can do just that.

1. Try To Reduce Phantom Loads

Any electronic device or appliance consuming energy when turned off is a phantom load. Such loads are not uncommon in a typical household. It can be the TV, radio, toaster, phone charger or the AC. The much electricity these loads consume will differ based on the type of device in question, and at times, it is hard to avoid such an issue because these gadgets and appliances are designed to have a standby mode.

You, however, can do something techy about it; use a kill-a-watt meter, a device that you can use to determine how much power your AC is using if it has a standby mode. Moreover, it would be wise to switch off the power at the socket if you are at home and not running the air conditioner.

2. Use More Energy Efficient AC

If you are searching for a new home air conditioning unit, then it would be wise to take into considerations about its eco-friendly score. Check the AC for the rating score it received from the Environmental Protection Agency (it could also be a Star label). All electrical appliances and devices that have a five-star rating or the Eco-Friendly Star have earned such because they use around less than 40% less energy compared to other similar products. On the flip side, anticipate spending a bit more on an Eco-friendly rated air conditioner, but that will be value for your money over the long run.

3. Install A Programmable Thermostat

With a programmable thermostat, you can have your home at the desired temperatures based on your needs and preferences. With such a thermostat, you can adjust the room temperature according to your needs and schedule meaning you can set the AC to stay off when you are away from home and to start running and warm up or cool the place an hour or so before you get home. Such a function not only makes it easy for you to manage the use of the home air conditioner but also can see you make significant savings on energy and money. The high-end AC units come installed with a programmable thermostat with some having a wireless (Wi-Fi) function.

4. Seal All Air Leaks

The average home loses around 38% of the cooled or heated indoor atmosphere through leaks that can be found at the doors, windows, vents, and air ducts. Such is the state o things in the old homes and some of the new ones. The air leaks reduce the heating and cooling efficiency of the house, and this increases the dependency of the air conditioning system therein rising the monthly energy demand and costs. Sealing the leaks is inexpensive, and the expenses of that are insignificant compared to the gains.

5. Change The Light Bulbs

While some incandescent light bulbs are known to warm up a house, there use is defeating when the AC is also running. Incandescent bulbs use up more than 70% of the energy fluorescent and LED light bulb use.  As such, switching to the fluorescent bulbs will help save energy and overall power costs. Moreover, the fluorescent bulbs last longer than their incandescent counterparts.

6. Look To Conventional Cooling

In as much as running the home AC is somewhat inevitable during the chilly days, you can counter the same demand of the unit during the hot summers. You can do this by opting install fans that you will run during the summer to cool the place. You can also go a step further and open the door and windows during the day to allow the heat to escape thus reducing the demand for using the air conditioner. Such simple alternatives can reduce the overall energy demand and costs during the summer and winter days by around 20% collectively.

7. Make Your Windows More Efficient

The standard glass windows are made using a single pan of glass rendering them insufficient as far as energy conservation is concerned.  Upgrading the windows to ones that have double or triple panes is a significant step to having an energy efficient home. The upgrade is also in line with saving energy regarding the amount of work the home air conditioning system will put it just to keep the place at the desired room temperature. Also, check the new windows you are to install to ensure they have a quality insulating barrier that prevents air leaks.

8. Improve Your Insulation

Improving the insulation around the house dramatically increases the level of energy efficiency in and around the house. The options for this range from using fiberglass batting or the latest spray foam technology. Have a specialist inspect your home to check the quality and integrity of the insulation in your home and suggest the best upgrades that will help lower the dependency on the home AC.

9. Service Your AC Unit Regularly

Routine maintenance is key to having an AC system that works flawlessly. The air conditioner will not only heat and cool the house with efficiency, but also deliver clean quality indoor air. The maintenance practices particularly focus on the filters and Freon. If the filters are dirty, then the blog the inhibit the flow of hot or cooled air from the AC and this cause the unit to work harder than it should. On the other hand, if the Freon is low, then the air conditioner will keep running trying to cool the house but with nothing to show for it since the coolant needs to produce cold air is low, r20 uses explained here. In both cases, the air conditioner is overworked and consumes a lot of energy while not delivering the desired effects.

Making the necessary changes as highlighted above will significantly help you save energy and reduce the overall electricity costs.