TIPS: Keeping your electric bills low as temps soar
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Air conditioning problems peak this time of year, and so do high electric bills associated with faulty systems.
John Whitfield with One Hour Air Conditioning sees most of his emergency repair work during the summer months. He shared insight he uses to make his own home more efficient.
"As a homeowner, just making sure everything is tight and sealed up properly," he said.
He also weighed in on the debate over whether its best to leave the air condition on a comfortable temperature all day, turn it off when you leave or up to a higher temperature.
"Just let it run. As long as you're getting proper AC maintenance, it should stay pretty energy efficient."
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Whitfield said cooling your home back to a comfortable temp takes more energy.
He also emphasized the basics like checking for air leaks and keeping out the sunlight.
"Anything you can do to block the sun. Keeping the blinds shut off," he said.
He also suggests using ceiling fans to make it feel cooler. It's also best to avoid doing loads of laundry or dishes between noon and 6pm. Not only will that cut down on the electricity use during peak times, but he machines also generate more heat in the home.
Most importantly, he said don't ignore small problems and don't wait for the air condition to breakdown before taking action. He said replacing small parts during yearly maintenance is much cheaper than replacing the entire unit.
"It kind of snowballs into this much larger deal and now you are looking at replacing the whole system," he added.
