In many households, air conditioning expenses can get very high during the hot summer months. If you feel that cooling expenses are higher than usual recently, you need to find out why to bring down your utility bills.

The following are six possible reasons why your cooling expenses have been higher than usual lately.

You're setting your thermostat at an excessively low temperature.

The lower the temperature you set your thermostat during the summer, the harder your air conditioner is going to need to work.

Be reasonable regarding your thermostat temperature setting. You should know that setting your thermostat just a few degrees higher during the summer can reduce air conditioner energy consumption without detracting from the comfort in your home. 

You need to have your windows sealed or replaced.

Over time, the windows of your home will naturally age and become less airtight. This will detract from HVAC efficiency in your home.

If your air conditioner is consuming more energy to cool your home interiors, it could be because conditioned air is escaping your home through openings around your windows. Have your windows sealed or replaced to correct this issue. 

You've been doing a lot of cooking on the interior of your home.

If you cook a lot at home, you should know that using your oven or other kitchen appliances can raise interior temperatures. This could make the job of your air conditioner harder. Cooking more indoors could explain increases in cooling expenses during the hot summer months. 

You haven't been taking advantage of your ceiling fans.

Ceiling fans compliment the cooling capabilities of your home's air conditioning system nicely. You can use your ceiling fans to make interiors of your home feel cooler.

Ceiling fans take some of the burden of home cooling off of your air conditioner. In many cases, using ceiling fans can bring down cooling expenses in a home during the summer. 

The filters on your air conditioner are clogged.

Air filters on an air conditioner unit filter contaminants out of interior air. Over time, these contaminants build up in the filter itself and can obstruct airflow so that air conditioner efficiency is negatively impacted. If you notice rising cooling costs, you should check your air filters and make sure that they don't need to be changed. 

Your air conditioner is malfunctioning.

There are many possible air conditioner malfunctions that can lead to rising cooling expenses in a home. You should have an HVAC contractor inspect your air conditioner if you notice that cooling costs are rising and none of the above-mentioned issues can explain the rise in costs.