BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. — In this heat, air conditioners are working hard to cool people down.
You may see a higher energy bill when this heatwave is over, but there are some things you can do now to save some money.
First tip, clean out your air conditioner at least once a year.
"This is actually something we see every year and it's something a lot of us don't think about," said Eugene Olson at Dean's Home Services. "The outside of the air conditioner looks clean, you take the casing of your air conditioner off and notice a lot of dust and dirt.”
Olson says built up dirt and dust will make your air conditioner work harder to cool your home, which can lead to higher energy bills and your AC wearing out faster than it should.
Next tip, keeping your home a few degrees hotter can save you a lot of money.
"When you start talking about energy savings, it really just goes down to your comfort level,” Olson said.
Everyone has a different tolerance when it comes to heat and comfortability, but Olson says most of the clients at Dean’s Home Services run their air conditioners at 72 to 76 degrees in the summer to save money and stay comfortable.
You can save even more money if you’re willing to go a little hotter.
"That would never work in my house, but to each their own,” Olson laughs.
Another tip that may surprise some people, don't turn your AC down too far when you're away at work or on vacation.
"Three to five degrees is what we typically say. So, if you have your AC set to 68 and you're leaving, go ahead and set it to 71, 72, 73," Olson said. "Typically after that, by the time you get home, and you do turn it back down, your air conditioner has to work too hard to get your home back to temp, so you lose some of those energy savings."
And if you notice there is something wrong with your air conditioner, you should call it in right away.
A lot of companies are busy right now with how hot it is, so, the quicker you get that call in, the quicker someone can get out to your home to take a look at it.
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