Don't fall for these myths about saving money on your air conditioner

As you ramp up the use of your air conditioner to try to cool off from the summer heat, I'm breaking four A/C myths that could be preventing you from saving money on your energy bill.

First, you might think lowering your thermostat drastically will make your A/C cool your house faster.

But it doesn't.

The A/C works just as hard to lower the temperature by one degree as it does to lower it by 20 degrees.

In the second myth, some of you might think it's better to let an old air conditioner run until it quits. But experts say an old A/C will perform poorly and cost you more money in repairs.

Closing the vents in rooms you don't use to help you save money is a myth as well.

It sounds like it makes sense, but it actually does not save energy.

Cooling systems are designed to blow out a certain amount of air no matter what vents are opened or closed.

Myth number four says leaving the temperature at the same setting all day will save you money. That's false!

If you set your system at least four to six degrees warmer when you're away at work, it could cut five to 20 percent off your energy bill.