Keep cool and keep bills down
Tips for energy-efficient cooling
More and more Oregonians now have air conditioning at home. In fact, some of our peak electricity usage days are in summer instead of winter.
Smart summer cooling tips
Don’t be surprised by a high energy bill this summer. Try these tips:
- Is your central air conditioning more than 12 years old? Cut cooling costs by up to 30 percent if you replace it with a new ENERGY STAR-qualified model.* Or consider a high-efficiency heat pump, which combines the benefits of efficient central air conditioning in summer with energy-efficient heating in winter.
- To keep a room air conditioner running most efficiently, don’t switch it on and off frequently.
- Set the thermostat as high as is comfortable; 75 to 78 degrees is an energy-efficient range. At bedtime, you can raise the temperature a bit more to save more energy. And turn off the AC before you leave for work (unless you have pets at home that will suffer on hot days).
- On days that are just warm but not sweltering, you might consider using fans instead of turning on the air conditioning. Fans use a lot less energy. Or try fans and air conditioning in combination: Raise the temperature setting a few degrees higher on the AC, then turn on ceiling fans to keep air moving.
- If you use fans for cooling, remember that they cool people — not rooms. So turn them off if you leave the room.
- Think long-term savings and consider planting deciduous trees to shade your home. That will lessen the need for cooling.
See a video and get more ventilation and air conditioning tips in our Energy Savings section.
* Individual savings will vary.