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Easy Ways to Keep the Lid on Your Home’s Cooling Costs as the Temperature Climbs

With the rising cost of energy, Gary residents are always looking for ways to beat the heat while lowering home cooling costs. Here are 10 simple things you can do to reduce your energy bills this summer while maintaining a high level of comfort in your home.

  1. Use a programmable thermostat to keep you comfortable while you’re home and save energy while you’re away.
  2. Use your ceiling fans to help keep you cool. Fans move the conditioned air around your body and cost very little to operate.
  3. Turn off your air conditioner and open your windows at night when the weather is cool. Close them when the sun comes up to keep your home cool at a lower cost.
  4. Combat heat gain. Installing sun-blocking window treatments to prevent solar energy from heating up your house. Apply a paint-on reflective coating to your roof to considerably reduce heat gain through the roof.
  5. Use heat-generating appliances at night. Your oven and clothes dryer can heat up your home during the day, requiring more work from your air conditioner to keep it cool.
  6. Replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents, or CFLs, which burn cooler, use up to 75 percent less electricity and last up to six times longer.
  7. Seal air leaks in your home to prevent conditioned air from escaping outdoors. Caulk around stationary parts of doors and windows, and install weatherstripping between movable parts. Seal loose joints in your air ducts with metal tape or mastic sealant.
  8. Adequately insulate your attic to save up to 40 percent on your energy bill. You should have at least 7 inches of fiberglass insulation or 6 inches of cellulose, with a rating of at least R-22.
  9. Check your air filter monthly and replace it when it’s dirty to increase your air conditioner’s efficiency.
  10. Schedule preventive maintenance to considerably increase the efficiency of your air conditioner and to help prevent midsummer breakdowns.

For more expert advice about lowering your home cooling costs this summer, please feel free to contact us at Meyer’s Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric, helping keep Gary area residents comfortable since 1951.

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