The warmer weather is finally here and you may have already turned on your air conditioning a few times. For many, turning on the air conditioner signifies the start of higher electricity bills! Air conditioning uses more household electricity than anything else, by far. A ceiling fan uses much less energy, so the trick to saving money is using it more and your AC less. Below are a few ways to cut energy costs with your ceiling fan.

Set Your Home’s Temperature Higher

When using your AC and ceiling fan together, raise the temperature on your thermostat by 4 degrees (or more). While your ceiling fan doesn’t cool the air by itself it does help circulate the cool air created by your AC. It also creates a breeze, which makes the room feel cooler than it actually is. This allows you to turn up the thermostat temperature without experiencing a change in comfort.

Turn Off the Fan When You Leave

While programmable thermostats allow you to schedule your AC unit to turn off and on based on your schedule, most ceiling fans do not have a programmable feature, which means you’ll have to remember to turn them on and off yourself. Leaving a ceiling fan on while you are gone for an extended period of time will not change the temperature of the room, it will only waste electricity.

Make Sure Your Fan Is Turning In The Correct Direction

Most ceiling fans have a clockwise and a counter-clockwise setting which allow you to change the direction the fan spins changing the direction of air flows. Determining whether your fan is set correctly for the summer season is easy. Stand under your fan and turn in on. If you feel a breeze from the fan, then it is set to the “summer” setting and you are good to go. If you do not feel the breeze, then grab a step stool or ladder and check your fan’s base for a small button or switch that that sets the fan to run in the opposite direction. Form most fans the “summer setting” is counterclockwise, but this can vary from model to model depending on how the blades are aligned.

Heating and cooling costs account for nearly half a home’s total energy bill. If your central air unit is more than 10 years old, replacing it with a high-efficiency model could save you up to 30% on your heating and cooling costs. Contact Munro Heating and Air today to learn more and begin saving today! (484) 932-8374