Save Money on Your Cooling Costs this Summer (and Your Heating Costs Next Winter!)

I’d like to take a minute to thanks our sponsor, FilterEasy, for allowing us to bring you these tips on how to lower your heating and cooling costs.

Three things you can do now to lower your cooling costs this summer and your heating costs next winter:

Get Your System Tuned Up

Just because your furnace hummed along all winter and you’ve tested your air conditioning unit already doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t give your service technician a call. They will be able to both clean and service your units and identify any problems that haven’t reared their heads yet. They will clear the air conditioner vents to ensure adequate airflow and clean out any dust or leaves that have made their way into the unit. (Our neighborhood has had an issue with mice setting up shop inside air units and chewing on wires.) The tech will also check furnace belts for any wear and give it a tune-up. Depending on the temperature, you may be able to have both the furnace and the air serviced during the same visit.

Reduce the Load on Your Units

The harder your heating and cooling units have to work, the more stress it puts on them. Do what you can to keep the temperature cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Close up any leaks with caulk and check that all your windows are closed tightly. In the summer, leave the blinds down during the hottest part of the day. If your home is humid, invest in a dehumidifier. That will allow you to raise the temperature a degree or two as the lack of humidity will make it feel cooler. If you home is lacking insulation anywhere, make sure to add some. We invested in insulating the floor of our attic the year after we bought our home and it has made a huge difference.

Change Your Filter Regularly

Our service tech actually says that having a clean filter is the most important thing you can do to improve the efficiency of your furnace. A dirty filter impedes air flow and puts a huge strain on your unit as well as keeps it from heating or cooling as well as it should. You may want to take into account any unusual conditions that might clog your filter faster than what is typical: home repair or remodeling projects, allergy season, etc. Even without any additional circumstances, it can be hard to keep up with filter changes regularly. First there is remembering to change it – we have tried writing it on the calendar, but that has still been hit or miss. Or we will forget to have a clean one on standby and need to make a special trip out before we can change the filter. The trip to the store gets postponed and then another month has gone by before you know it.

is your easy solution to this problem!

FilterEasy is a subscription service that delivers a fresh, clean furnace filter to your door when it is time to change yours. You just go to and set it up by inputting the correct size that you need and you are done! Oh – and your first one is free!!! No shipping charges and no need to go in and remember to order it each month. Like magic, it will show up on your doorstep and all you have to do is open it and put it in your furnace. And if you ever need to pause or cancel a delivery, no problem at all! If only all our home maintenance tasks were this easy!!