As the warm summer months begin, the temperature continues to rise – and that means your air conditioner is probably seeing a lot more use. This can lead to rising cooling bills. Fortunately, there are ways you can control your home's heat without depending too much on your AC unit. Try out these tips to make cooling your house easier, and cut down on your energy bills at the same time.

Reduce Sunlight Exposure Inside Your Home

Sunlight streaming through windows can be beautiful, but it also adds a surprising amount of heat to the air in your home. During summer, try to keep windows covered with blinds and shades as much as possible, especially in rooms you don't use very much or when the house is empty for the day while everyone is at work or school. 

Create a Thermostat Schedule to Save Money

Today's thermostats can easily be programmed with cooling schedules (and smart thermostats can even detect when there's activity in the house). Schedule your thermostat to only cool the house when it's needed. For most people, that's a couple of hours in the morning when they get up, and a few hours in the evening until the natural temperature drops for the night. Otherwise, your thermostat doesn’t need to work very hard, and you can save money by increasing the thermostat temp by several degrees during these times.

Know Which of Your Appliances Create a Lot of Heat

Appliances like dryers and ovens can release a lot of heat into the house, making it difficult to cool down. When possible, use heat-creating appliances only later in the evening when the air has cooled a bit, and your AC unit won't have to work as hard to make up the difference.

Close Up During the Day

Remember to keep windows closed during the day so they won't let in hot air, which just ruins all your unit's hard work. Instead, open the windows at night to create a healthy flow of cooler air that will help your air conditioning in the morning.

Use Low-Cost Methods of Cooling

Use both ceiling and desk fans when possible. Both these fans don't actually cool down the air. They just make you feel cooler by blowing air across your skin. This is a relatively low-cost method to increase your comfort without relying on AC cooling all the time.

Schedule Routine Maintenance

The more efficient your AC system is, the faster it can cool your home and the more money you save. One of the best ways to keep your system efficient is to schedule routine maintenance with Guaranteed Heating & Cooling. This maintenance will keep your air conditioner clean but it also offers much more. We can replace your air filter at regular intervals so it doesn't clog and slow down the airflow. We can also check on your refrigerant levels and make sure you have enough for effective cooling. This type of professional maintenance is a great way to save money and prevent wear and tear over time.

Call our experts today to schedule a routine checkup for your AC unit.