The weather is starting to heat up. But no sweat! These low-cost, quick-to-implement tips will help keep your home comfortable while saving energy.
Tips for homes with or without air conditioning
- Here in Colorado, the air cools to the 50s or 60s at night. Use this natural air conditioning to your advantage. Leave the windows open at night, or open windows and doors first thing in the morning to bring cool air in and move stale, warm air out.
- Portable fans can help create an air flow to speed up the process. Put one fan in an open door or window facing inside on one end of the house and another fan on the opposite end of the house blowing outside.
- Once the house has cooled, close everything up. If you have blackout curtains or blinds, keep them closed - especially on windows facing the sun.
- If you have ceiling fans, make sure they are rotating counterclockwise - that will push cool air down.
- Supplement ceiling fans with portable fans to keep air moving throughout your home.
- Wait to run home appliances until the cooler evening hours. A dryer, dishwasher or oven can quickly warm the air in your home, making your cooling system work overtime.
Best practices with a cooling system
Temperature setting
- Set your thermostat higher on hot days so the cooling system doesn’t have to work as hard.
- Thermostat temperatures should also be set higher (78 degrees and up) when you’re not home or at night when sleeping. This can save around 10% on energy use.
- Adjusting your thermostat is easy in the “smart” age. Smart thermostats have become very affordable, especially with our $50 rebate on a qualified purchase.
Maintain
- Neglecting regular tune-ups for an air conditioning system can lead to underperformance. That means more energy use and less cool air.
- Throughout the warmer months, remove any dirt, leaves or debris around your outside unit.
- Routinely change your filter. A simple filter replacement costs about $10 and can lower your air conditioner’s energy use by 15%.
Prepare for warmer temperatures
- Drafty doors and windows can allow warm air into your home, making your air conditioning system work overtime to keep the temperature down. For around $20, you can purchase weather stripping and caulk to seal any gaps.
- According to the Department of Energy, sealing leaks around doors and windows can save up to 20% on heating and cooling.
Consider upgrading your insulation
- Insulating is the first step to an efficient home and customers will notice an almost immediate impact on their energy bill after making the upgrade.
- Customers can now earn up to $1,500 if they replace insulation in both their attics and walls.
- This is a 275% increase of the $400 rebate offered in 2023. If you replace only your attic insulation or just your wall insulation, the amount is $750.
- View full rules and information here and visit My Account to apply for this rebate.