EGC Electric: Would You Undress So Your Air Conditioner Works Less?

Tuesday 17 July 2018

Would You Undress So Your Air Conditioner Works Less?

What would you do to save money on your summertime cooling bills? Reduce the time you run the AC? Run a fan? Strip down? According to the Lennox Home Energy Report Card, many homeowners are willing to endure higher temperatures at home during the summer months to decrease their monthly electric bill by $50. Thirty-seven percent would raise their thermostat 3 to 6 degrees, while only 14 percent would be unwilling to change the temperature at all. As a last resort, 33 percent of homeowners say they would rather walk around in their underwear at home than spend money to cool down their house.

Reducing Use of Your Air Conditioner

Other tactics survey respondents noted as a way to cut back on their electric bills during the summer:

28 percent would search for unused appliances to unplug, others start turning off lights or research news ways to save energy.
55 percent program their thermostats
45 percent bought new, more efficient air conditioning and heating systems
46 percent turn on their AC system for the first time of the year in May or June, while 9 percent of homeowners fun their AC system year round.
73 percent change the filter in their heating and cooling system monthly

Turning off the AC—More Harm than Good?

While many people proactively take actions toward lowering energy bills, some are doing more harm than good by employing this practice. Twenty-three percent of homeowners say they have turned off their cooling system completely during hot days to conserve energy. “While turning off your air conditioning system completely seems like an effective way to conserve energy during the summer, it is actually forcing the system to work overtime to get back to a comfortable temperature,” says Lennox energy efficiency expert Brittani Youman. “Doing so uses more energy and results in higher bills. Instead of turning off your system, we recommend lowering or raising the temperature of your thermostat—or better yet, install a smart thermostat to do it for you.”

Win Cash for Your Energy Saving Tip

If you have a useful energy saving tip, you could win up to $10,000 in energy efficient products from Lennox. Between July 1 and August 31 homeowners can enter the Lennox Energy Savings Superstar Contest. Go to www.lennox.com to submit your tip, along with a photo that illustrates your tip.