Between 30-50% of your home power bill is for heating and cooling, making it the single largest home operating expense in Florida. In Naples we use more power than our counterparts across the country, and even in the rest of the state, because of our cooling needs and reliance on electricity for winter heating. The good news is that there’s lots of room for improvement and the savings can be tremendous. Florida Power and Light estimate that every cooling degree below 78oF adds 8-10% to your electricity costs. So, it’s easy to adjust the temperature upwards and start saving money!
1) Adjust The Thermostat
Strive for 78oF when you are at home and at least 82oF when away. Use a programmable thermostat if you have one. It costs much more to keep a building constantly cool than it does to cool it down on return.
2) Keep It Clean
Change the filter every two to three months to ensure your family breathes clean, healthy air. Dirty filters can reduce efficiency by 20%.
Change the filter regularly to keep your system working efficiently. It's easy! (photo credit: Gene Flipse)
3) Help It Out
Help your unit keep you cool by circulating the cold air it creates with upright fans and ceiling fans, keeping the doors of air conditioned rooms closed, dressing appropriately, and using blinds and curtains to slow heat gain.
Calculate Your Savings:
Using FPL’s 2010 customer average of 13,479 kWh per year and assuming conservatively that 40% is for cooling gives an annual price tag of $593. With proper maintenance and tweaking of the temperature setting you should be able to save at least 10% of this, or close to $60.
Did You Know?
The standard amount of insulation required to keep a resting person warm in a windless room at 70 °F (21.1 °C) is equal to one clo.
