Tips To Reduce Cooling Costs in Summer

The temperature is rising, but so are your energy bills. Therefore, find ways to reduce your cooling costs and the strain on your air conditioner. Explore tips to reduce cooling costs in summer.

Purchase Black-Out Shades

Back-out shades control the light and heat entering your home, enabling you to keep your rooms cooler. These shades block the sun's rays and prevent them from heating your rooms. This reduces the need for excessive air conditioning. By installing black-out shades, you can regulate the temperature in your home more efficiently, minimizing the reliance on cooling systems and lowering your energy consumption.

Use Fans

Fans circulate the air and create a breeze that makes you feel cooler. Using fans, you can set your air conditioner at a higher temperature because the moving air provides a cooling effect. This allows your air conditioner to work less, reducing energy consumption and cooling costs. 

Fans also help to improve air circulation in your home, preventing stagnant air pockets and reducing the need for excessive air conditioning. Placing fans in different rooms can create a cross-ventilation effect, maximizing the cooling benefits.

Install Energy-Efficient Window Screens

Energy-efficient window screens prevent solar heat gain by blocking a significant portion of the sun's rays from entering the house. These screens minimize the amount of heat transferred into the living spaces by creating a barrier between the interior and the scorching outdoor temperatures. 

As a result, this decreases the reliance on air conditioning systems, leading to lower energy consumption and reduced cooling expenses. The energy-efficient screens reflect or absorb sunlight before it reaches the glass. This prevents the windows from becoming excessively hot while maintaining a comfortable indoor environment.

Install a Smart Thermostat

With a smart thermostat, individuals can set specific temperature ranges for different times of the day, ensuring that cooling is only active when necessary. This way, energy consumption is minimized when no one is at home or when cooler outdoor temperatures naturally provide comfort. Additionally, smart thermostats can learn and adapt to occupants' behaviors, automatically adjusting cooling patterns based on usage and external conditions.

Moreover, these devices often offer remote control capabilities through smartphone applications, allowing users to monitor and adjust their cooling systems from anywhere. This feature enables homeowners to turn off or adjust the cooling remotely if they forget to do so before leaving the house.

Schedule AC Maintenance

During scheduled maintenance, an HVAC professional will thoroughly inspect and clean the various components of the AC system. This includes examining the air filters, evaporator coils, and condenser coils and removing any accumulated dirt or debris. Keeping these parts clean allows the AC unit to efficiently cool the air without straining itself. 

Additionally, the maintenance process involves checking refrigerant levels and ensuring they are at the optimal range. If refrigerant is low, the system must work more to reach the desired cooling, leading to higher energy consumption and increased costs. 

Moreover, scheduled maintenance allows for the detection and timely repair of any potential issues or malfunctions in the AC system. Identifying and fixing these problems early on prevents them from escalating into more significant and costly repairs in the future.

Upgrade to Zoned Air Conditioning

Zoned air conditioning allows you to divide your home into separate zones or areas, each with a thermostat and individual control settings. With this upgrade, you can optimize cooling by directing air conditioning to specific zones that require it the most while reducing or eliminating cooling in unoccupied or less frequently used areas.



Excessive discomfort in your home indicates the need to consult an experienced HVAC contractor. Riverside Heating and Air Conditioning, serving the Greater Peninsula Area, has over 30 years of expertise in restoring comfort to residential and commercial spaces. Contact us now for more information.