Tips

Close drapes to keep out the hot daytime sun, especially on south and west windows. Sunny windows make air conditioners work 2 to 3 times harder.

Inspect your furnace filter at least once per month and change it as needed.

Make sure air return registers are not blocked by furniture, drapes, or other household items.

Don't set your thermostat at a colder setting other than normal (76 to 78 deg) when you turn on your air conditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling and, therefore, unnecessary expense.

Consider using an interior fan in conjunction with your air conditioner to spread the cooled air more effectively through out your home without greatly increasing your power consumption.

Don't place lamps, TV sets, or computers near your thermostat. The thermostat senses the heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.

Plant trees or shrubs to shade the air conditioning units, but not to block the airflow around the units. A unit operating in the shade consumes as much as 10% less electricity than your neighbor running the same unit operating in the sun.

Check your attic, attic stairway, attached garage walls and basement to make sure your home is insulated to DOE-recommended levels for your geographic area. When inspecting and buying home insulation products, look for the R-value. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power.

Have your central air conditioning (AC) system serviced each spring.

Hire a professional to seal and insulate leaky ducts, and to ensure that the airflow distribution system serving your equipment is operating at peak efficiency.

Install drapes, shades, blinds or another window covering.

Consider replacing single-pane windows with double-pane windows, and/or with high-performance glass. Look for low-emissivity (low-e) or spectrally selective glass. In warmer climates, select windows with spectrally selective coatings to reduce heat gain. In colder climates, select windows that are gas filled with low-e coatings on the glass to reduce heat loss.

Open your foundation vents each spring if your home has a crawl space under it.

Install ceiling fans. The air circulation promotes cooling in the summer and heating efficiency in the winter.

Prune back shrubs and remove debris, like grass and leaves, that may block airflow to your air conditioner.