Spring is almost here, and summer is right around the corner, and your air conditioner will be working hard. This means you will have higher energy bills. Fortunately, there are things you can do to keep your costs down. Follow the tips below and you will have a cool home without paying a lot of money.

Maintain Your Air Conditioning Unit

The most important thing you should do is to keep your air conditioning serviced once a year. This will ensure it will be running efficiently. Some things the HVAC contractor will do for you are:

• Check the refrigeration level
• Check the fan
• Check the coils
• Clean the HVAC system
• Clean the evaporator

Check Your Vents

The vents in your home play an important role in your energy bills. Check them all to make sure that none are closed. If some are closed, you need to open them. With closed vents, your air conditioning unit has to work much harder to cool your home, which means it will have to run longer. This not only makes your energy bills higher, but puts more stress on the unit.

Use Fans

Set up fans around your home. They will not cool your air, but they will push the cool air around your home. When the air circulates around, you will have an even temperature and that puts less work on your AC unit. Place the fans in the direction that you want the air to go.

If you have ceiling fans, always keep them running. They need to be set to spin counterclockwise during the summer. There should be a switch on the fan to turn the direction of the blades. If you cannot find it, look in your fan's user manual.

Another type of fan you can use is a bed fan. This allows you to stay cool at night while you are sleeping instead of using your AC unit to cool your entire home. This type of fan runs gentle air under your sheets to keep you cool. Using this allows you to turn up your AC temperature at night so your unit will not turn on at all. This is also a great product for people that have hot flashes or night sweats. You can find this product at most home supply stores.

When the contractor comes to your home, ask them if they have any more suggestions for you to help keep your costs down. People like Clément Marchand Natural Gas Service HVAC technicians can help you explore your options.