Keep Your Cool AND Save Your Money this Summer

Man with little girl on his back, both smiling with arms extended

The warm days of summer are here, but while temperatures are rising, your energy costs don’t have to. Did you know, the average home spends $1,900 per year on utility bills, with nearly half going to heating and cooling? Let the experts at ENERGY STAR show you how you can keep your energy bills under control by making energy choices that are cool for you and the planet!

ENERGY STAR has all the resources you need to stay cool and save money this summer. Explore the tips below to learn how you can keep the heat out, level up your cooling system, and invest in low-cost upgrades that are better for your budget and the planet.

If your cooling system is more than 12 years old – or you’re looking to upgrade for the summer, replace it with an ENERGY STAR certified heat pump. Heat pumps work great for cooling, too, and are super-efficient for year-round savings and home comfort. During the summer months, the heat pump serves as a central air conditioner and reduces cooling costs compared to a conventional air conditioner. In the winter months, a heat pump can deliver up to three times more heat energy than the electrical energy it consumes, costing less to operate than traditional HVAC equipment such as furnaces, boilers, or electric resistance heat. It can also help you transition from fossil fuels for a cleaner, healthier home. Replacing your central AC with a heat pump does not require renovation or an electrical panel upgrade, and can be done for a modest extra cost compared to the installation of a standalone AC system.
Have your system serviced annually by an HVAC contractor to ensure that it’s running at optimum efficiency to save energy and money.
Make sure you check your system’s air filters every month. A dirty air filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep you cool—wasting energy. A clean filter will also prevent dust and dirt from building up in the system, which can lead to expensive maintenance and/or early system failure.

Households without central air conditioning can save money using an ENERGY STAR certified room air conditioner. ENERGY STAR certified room air conditioners use about 10% less energy and, on average, cost less than $70 per year to run.

Certified room air conditioners with innovative variable speed technology save even more energy and quietly regulate the temperature, providing the innovation and energy savings you're looking for in a state-of-the-art room AC.

Stay connected! ENERGY STAR certified room air conditioners with connected functionality offer additional convenience, comfort and energy savings by allowing you to turn off the unit remotely using your phone or computer, schedule changes to settings based on your needs and receive feedback on how much energy your product is using.

Be sure to properly size your room AC for comfort and savings. An oversized unit will cool the room but only remove some of the humidity, leaving the room with a damp, clammy feeling. Learn how to choose the right size from the experts at ENERGY STAR by watching the video below.

A smart thermostat that has earned the ENERGY STAR label is the perfect way to control your temperature settings to save energy and money. They’re called smart because they learn your family’s preferences for heating and cooling without you having to program them like old programmable thermostats. Plus, they take the guess work out of what settings will optimize for comfort and energy savings, adjusting the temperature in your home throughout the day to fit your needs and save money on energy bills. Families with high energy use can save $100 per year.

You could save up to $190 a year by sealing air leaks around your house and adding insulation. In most homes, the attic is easy to access and improving it has the biggest benefit. A good insulation contractor will start by sealing air leaks and then will add insulation to the recommended level on top. Many utilities offer insulation rebates to lower the project cost.

Ceiling fans are great for moving the cool air around the room and creating a nice breeze in the summer. If you raise your thermostat by only two degrees and use your ceiling fan, you can lower your air conditioning costs by up to 14%. Remember, ceiling fans cool you, not the room. So, turn them off when you leave the room. Need a new fan? ENERGY STAR certified ceiling fans with lights are 60% more efficient than standard fans with lights.