15 Simple Ways To Save Money On Your Air Conditioning

The air conditioner is a life-saver when the heat starts blasting through your home, but the only bad thing is that it might come with a high electricity bill attached.

From my own experience, I shared some of the ways you can save money each month on your air conditioning while still avoiding sweating and heat.

These are easy-to-apply and you can start using them right away.

Just in case this list is not enough for you, then check out this guide with 220 tips on how to save energy for summer and winter.

But enough chit-chat – let’s get to the list!

1. Stop leaking 

One of the biggest reasons why your air conditioner requires so much energy to cool the room is that your windows are leaking air. Cool air is leaving the house, while the heat is entering – sucks, I know.

Make sure there aren’t any spots on your windows that leak air, and you’ll see a huge difference in how fast you can cool a whole home.

2. Raise the temperature

Let me ask you this: Do you feel any difference when you cool your house at a slightly higher temperature? 

If you increase your temperature by one to three degrees, you won’t feel any difference. However, your air conditioner will require less energy which means it will save you a couple of bucks each month.

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3. Run the fan at maximum speed

This might seem awkward, but let me explain why running at the maximum speed will actually save you money…

When you run the fan at maximum speed it will cool your whole room a lot faster than with a normal speed and you can turn off your air conditioner.

Don’t forget to turn it off after some time as you don’t want your air conditioner to run at maximum speed for a couple of hours – you don’t want higher bills.

4. Change air filters

The performance of your air conditioner depends a lot on the air filters. If they’re full of dust and dirt, expect problems with your air conditioner.

I would recommend you change your air filters every three months, but it’s okay if you change them twice a year as well.

❗️TIP: If you don’t know how to change filters, check out this youtube video.

5. Power saving options on your controller

Most of air conditioners have a power-saving option that you can activate on your controller. Just hit that button and let the AC do its thing.

6. Close blinds

No matter how good your air conditioner is, if you allow heat to enter your home – you’ll start sweating within a few minutes after you turn off your AC.

That’s why closing your blinds is so important.

When you close the blinds, it will block the Sun from sending any heat into your home or room.

📍 Note: You can open the blinds as soon as the sun sets.

7. Turn off your AC when leaving the house

When you’re leaving the house for work, there’s no need to leave the air conditioner working.

“Yeah, but when I get home it’s hot as hell” – I would recommend turning the timer on an hour before you come home from work.

If your AC doesn’t have a timer option, check out the best smart ACs with a timer & Wi-Fi.

8. Clean your condenser coils 

Before doing this, make sure to unplug your AC.

After you’ve unplugged your air conditioner, you can clean it with water and remove all the dust.

Don’t forget to dry your unit before plugging it back and turning it on.

📍 If you need good AC coil cleaners, we recommend these.

9. Maintain your air conditioner

Same as a car, air conditioners need to be maintained.

The best way to maintain your air conditioner is to seek professional help and let them do their job. It would be best if you could do it twice a year, but once a year is also enough.

10. Close the door

If you’re lying on your couch in the living room and you just want to cool that area, why are the doors of other rooms opened?

Next time, close all the other doors and you’ll see how it takes a lot less time to cool a room.

11. Upgrade to a more energy-efficient air conditioner

If your AC is old and it requires a lot of energy, you should definitely consider getting a new unit.

It might require an up-front investment, but in the long term, you will save money.

Make sure to check this in-depth guide on choosing the right air conditioner.

12. Shades are your friend

Same as with blinds, you should use shades to your advantage. They will block the Sun, so you won’t need to deal with a lot of heat that enters your home.

Also, it would be great if you have light-colored shades because darker colors are known to attract heat.

✍️ Note: Quickly check what shades are available on Amazon.

13. Keep it OFF at night

Do you really need to keep your air conditioner ON when you’re asleep? 

You can cool your room hours before you hit the bed, instead of cooling it while you’re asleep.

This will save you the most money and energy because the AC won’t need to cool for additional 5-7 hours.

📝 Article: You may also want to check out 41 tips on how to cool down a room without using an AC.

14. Avoid using the stove and oven

You already know how a stove and oven can heat your whole home, right? I won’t say you can’t use it, but avoid using it at night.

It will keep the heat for a few hours, so it’s best if you can cook early in the morning or afternoon.

15. The lighter color of your exterior

Lighter colors don’t attract a lot of heat and they will actually keep your home cooler.

I know that most houses already have a lighter color, but if you have a dark one – it’s time for some fresh paint.

EER Is the Most Important

EER stands for Energy Efficiency Ratio and it’s basically a metric of how much energy your air conditioner requires.

Anything above EER 18 is perfect and I wouldn’t recommend buying air conditioners with lower ratings than 18.

All of these tips mentioned above will work just fine, but it would be best to have a good energy-efficient air conditioner.

Time for wrap-up

I mentioned some of the easiest ways to apply, so you can save some “pocket money” each month while still cooling your home as you did before.

Also, if you would love to learn more about cooling your home – you need to check some of our other interesting articles.

Don’t forget to share this article with your friends and family and help them save a couple of bucks each month.